Lament of the Damned
by The Fabulous Lord Ghirahim
Summary: In this lifetime, Vaati possesses none of his previous powers, yet the potential for them is still there. What is he to do when he can't conquer Hyrule? Polish his sword? Kill? How about recruiting a powerful demon to do his bidding? That's right. Vaati can't do anything by himself currently, so he teams up with a demon named Ghirahim. There is a sequel to this!
1. Chapter 1

Hello there, mortal human. I see you happen to come across my story. Let me start by saying it might not quite be what you expect, human. This isn't the sappy romance novel or terrible action stories you love so much. No, what I speak to you now is a story of how my rather fabulous life has been turned upside down by another.. Perhaps you have heard of him. He goes by the name of Vaati, quite a unique name, though not quite as perfect as mine. Ah, but I digress. Allow me to take you through the winding tale of our time together, and how he has changed me.

* * *

Tonight was just like any other night in the fair land of Hyrule. Not a monster was in sight after the great hero Link saved the land. The night sky glowed ever so beautifully with twinkling stars and a radiant full moon. Almost everyone was snuggled in peacefully in their bed, sound asleep. But like most stories, there is always that one who is troubled ever so as they slumber. This individual lived far off in the land, rather far from Castle Town, but still close enough that he could view the castle if he chose to. His pained groans and an occasional yell echoed throughout the halls of his larger home, but alas, he had no one to sooth his slumber but himself. He tossed and turned in his bed, rustling and wrinkling his previously made bed, a sheen layer of sheet covering him.

His red eyes shot open as he sat up quickly. He looked around as if he was confused about where he was. But it didn't seem like he spotted me quite yet. He wiped the sweat of his forehead and threw off his blanket. Truthfully, I have never seen him awake before. I have only seen him during the dead hours of night, while he dreamed, well, rather suffered, I guess you could say. Now, don't think I am some sort of stalker, I was just observing my prey, same as any other predator.

He threw open the door that lead to the small balcony attached to his room. A gust of cool air rushed through the room, and he stepped outside. I could see that he was shaking slightly. Whatever he dreamed of today must have really frightened him. He never awoke because of his nightmares before. I would have seeped into his head to see, but that would just give me away. I don't want to be found yet, you see. He leaned against the railing, and hid his face in his hands as he mumbled to himself. I couldn't make anything out through the muffling, however. I crossed my arms and debated to myself if now was the time.

"Goddess damn it...why does this happen every night? Curse you...whoever gives me these damn nightmares…" he said to what he thought was himself. This was also the first time I heard his voice. It was quite different to say the least. I wouldn't call it deep, but most certainly not high either, no not at all. And it might have been me, but I swear I could have heard the smallest of accents. Definitely not a Hylian accent, I can say that. He turned around and started to walk out, but he stopped at the door. Now, what is it?

"Who is there?" he called out as a rapier appeared at his hand. My, I had no idea he could use magic. You don't detect that when people are asleep, fun fact.

"Well, you finally caught me. What a shame, this was so fun," I say as I emerge from the shadows of his room with my hands held up slightly as a sign that I would not attack. He held his blade up in defense as I stepped closer with a growing smirk on my face.

"No need to act so defensive. I won't attack you. Rather, as long as you don't attack me, and let me tell you, that would be a terrible idea." I put my hands back at my side as I stood in front of him. And might I say, he is...rather small. Given, I am a rather tall being myself, but he is still a little on the shorter side. I laughed to myself, but my face must have given me away.

"What do you find so amusing? And why are you in my room?" His voice was laced with a threat, and again, I smiled and said, "I just think your height might need some improvement, human. And as to why I am here, well, let us just say I am...observing." He looked a little ruffled at my comment about his height, but he lowered his rapier down slightly.

"Observing? You are just bringing up more questions! Now explain to me why you are here!" It honestly was so amusing to see him trying to be threatening to me. Quite a show.

"As I said before, I am observing you. You are obviously troubled, no? I can feel a great deal of resentment coming off from you, as well as a thirst for revenge. Am I right?" He lowered his arms and took on a face of slight shock as he said, "And just how do you know that? I seriously doubt you are able to just 'feel' that."

"Ah, but you have it wrong. I am able to 'feel' that. It isn't shocking to me that a mortal such as yourself doesn't feel emotions coming off your fellow kind."

"Mortal? You talk as though you aren't human." At his remark, I smirk. Of course his kind has forgotten the superior kind of my own throughout the ages. After all, the people of Hyrule no longer need us now that they have their wretched hero and princess that keep persisting throughout the ages.

"It doesn't surprise me that you haven't heard of my kind. We are no longer needed, and we are the type to keep to ourselves. To put it simply, dear human, I am not like you. I am what you mortals call a demon," I explained, and the more I talked, the more baffled he looked. With a small burst of black magic, his rapier was gone from his side.

"A demon? I had thought that your kind went extinct or something. A demon hasn't been spotted in centuries."

"Oh please, we could never go extinct. We are much too powerful to ever be brought down. And I must say, I am rather surprised you accept me being a demon. I would have thought you would at least questioned me, or ask me to prove myself. It is a rather pleasant turn," I explained to him. He walked around me sat on his bed. I turned with him, but didn't move from my spot.

"Any other Hylian would have. But most of them are just idiots anyways. I have been trained well enough with magic unlike most people, and can tell when someone isn't quite...human," he said to me. Well, at least he was well taught. And it is going to be useful if he knows magic in the future to me, at least if he agrees to what I will offer to him eventually.

"How convenient that you have such knowledge. And you don't use it for the better of this land you call home?"

"Give me a break. I would never call this land a home. The sky is where I belong, but in this state, I have no way of getting there. And might I add I would never aid Hyrule. Let those useless maggots fend for their own pathetic life, I couldn't care less." I looked at him slightly in confusion.

"You belong in the sky? Care to explain, mortal?" He laughed slightly and turned his eyes to the ground as he spoke, "I'm going to take a guess you don't know who I am. Well, that is good, I suppose. I haven't taken this form in this lifetime yet. My name is Vaati, by the way. Stop calling me mortal, and definitely stop calling me human, for I am not quite one myself."

"Ah, so you are the infamous Vaati. I have indeed read up a lot about you, but nowhere does it say you have a human form. Perhaps that is the reason why I cannot sense anything other than human off of you."

"Well, I guess that is good, that they don't know I have a human form. It would be just awful if they did know and find me here." He hopped off his bed and walked back onto his balcony.

"Might I ask though, I had heard every time you appeared in Hyrule, you tried to conquer it. Why are you not doing so now," I asked as I followed him, standing in the doorway with his back facing me.

"Look at me! I am essentially powerless in this form! Although the potential for all my previous powers are still there, no magic is present! If I attack, the most I could do is with a sword, and even then, I would eventually be outnumbered and most likely slain. As I am now, I wouldn't come back like I would if I was in my preferred form." He slammed his hands down on the rails as he explained. The frustration was evident in his voice, that much anyone could tell. I allowed a smirk to appear as I put a hand to my chin.

"Hm, what a coincidence you would happen to mention that. As I understand, it is going to take some time for you to gain your powers back. I wouldn't be surprised if it took years for that to happen," I explained with a tone of amusement. He turned to look at me with a suspicious look on his face.

"Just what are you playing at, demon? It surprises me that my affairs has your attention." He crossed his arms as I chuckled.

"Your affairs has interested me for quite some time, Vaati. As the time went on, I have become very interested in your life, and the many destructive events you have caused. Some of the lesser demons even look up to you as a role model. But I digress. I assume that you understand that I have powers. Powers that would most assuredly benefit you should you agree to the offer I have to give you."

"Flattery will get you everywhere elsewhere, but it doesn't work on me. Again, what are you playing at, demon?" I gave a little sigh at his tone of intimidation. I understand him when me calling him mortal was annoying. Being called just demon is rather annoying. If anyone is talking to me, they should understand just who they are speaking to!

"I wouldn't try intimidation on me, boy. You happen to be speaking to the demon lord, Ghirahim! Anything you try on me will hardly do anything," I explained in slight anger. He gave me a surprised as well as a shocked look.

"Ghirahim? As in the demon king Demise's right hand man? Everyone in Hyrule thought you had perished," he said, and my anger subsided mostly as he recognized my name, just as he should.

"Not at all. Now, would you care to listen to the offer I give to you?" Vaati looked down, most likely contemplating if it was a good idea or not.

"Fine then, Ghirahim. What do you have to offer me?"

"That is more like it. As I said before, I have powers that could be of great benefit to you in the future, should you agree. With my help, you could achieve the level of power you so yearn for, and do so discreetly. I take it you don't want to be found out. At least not yet, am I correct?" I explained to him. Again, he took on a look of contemplation. I could understand that. This was quite an offer, and I wouldn't offer it to just anyone.

"So, what you are saying is that you can help achieve my previous power, and then some? All the while doing so on the down low?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I am saying, my dear Vaati."

"But I doubt you are doing this just out of the goodness of your cold dead heart. What do you want from me?"

"Ah, ever the keen one, aren't you? Of course I want something from you. To put it simply, after you achieve your goal, you offer your undying loyalty to me. Not as a servant, but as a fellow demon and partner. One as powerful as what you will be shall be beneficial no doubt. Now, I guess the real question is...do you accept these terms?" He stood silent for a few moments. I was almost shaking in anticipation.

"Hm. That all seems fair and acceptable. So then, Ghirahim, I accept your terms as well as your offer. You best not waste my time." I smirked wide at his last remark.

"Dear Vaati, you shall soon learn that I am never one for a waste of time."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So, I didn't claim disclaimer in the first chapter, so I will do so here! Disclaimer! I am not doing this for any sort of money! Just out of sheer fun!**

* * *

Are you still listening, mortal? I hope so. We are only just beginning. As you know thus far, the human, well not quite human, Vaati has agreed to the deal. But that was only just the beginning. We had many adventures planned ahead for us by cruel fate, adventures neither of us planned for. But alas, that is a story for later times. Let us focus on the present for now, shall we? That very same night, we had discussed various approaches regarding Vaati's predicament. But why don't you experience it for yourself?

* * *

"So what do you suggest we do? I haven't heard about anything that could restore any magical power that we could easily get to." Vaati said as he walked past me to sit down.

"No, you are correct. There aren't any, at least to our knowledge, but that isn't the plan," I reply as I step inside and shut the door behind me.

"You have a plan? Care to tell me?"

"Of course. For now, we don't focus on you gaining magical power, but a powerful position."

"Powerful position? What are you talking about?" I allow myself a small smirk. It doesn't seem like he can be the, well, brightest crayon in the box sometimes now, can he? I chuckle to myself.

"A powerful social position. This country runs on a monarchy, yes? No doubt there are nobles and others of the such. What I am suggesting is that you climb the social ladder to nobleism. When you reach that, I am sure you will catch the attention of the royal family. After all, it isn't common that a citizen reaches a high status so quickly." He leaned back and closed his eyes, I presume thinking about what I just said. With a nod, he says, "Yes, that could work." He paused and put a hand to his chin in thought.

"And It'll be easy with you around. I am sure you have some kind of trick up your sleeve, no?"

"Of course I do. I am a demon, I always have a trick up my sleeve."

* * *

Allow me to interrupt. I'll spare you of having to listen to this conversation. I am sure it would bore you to no end just listening to our plans. I shall give you a summary. Basically, we just ironed out how we were going to have him ascend into nobleism. And, I do say so with shame, I am going to have to play the part of his servant. Really, a shameful position to be just a lowly butler, but it is required to move forward. Now, shall we get back to the story?

* * *

It was a few days after we have agreed on our next step forward now. We had claimed a rather sizeable house in Castle Town to start off with the plan. After all, what kind of noble lives in a regular old house? We both acquired appropriate clothing to fit our roles and I have to say...I am less than pleased…

.

.

.

"You aren't serious are you?"

"Of course I am! What kind of servant wears...that!"

"I'll have you know that 'that' is a symbol of great power where I come from!"

"Where you come from means nothing here! Look, I know you aren't happy with it, but deal with it. Besides, it isn't like you have to wear it all day everyday. Just when we are out or are expecting people."

"...Oh alright, fine. But don't expect me to not hate it every second."

"Yea, yea, whatever." I sighed. Goddess's above, why do you not spare me any mercy. Wearing this terrible outfit is an insult to my very name. But...I guess it will be worth it all in the end. At least it better damn well.

"Anyways, what is on the schedule?" He asks me. I take a moment to myself to recall with whom I have scheduled meetings with.

"Several business owners, I didn't care to catch their business though...I set up a meeting with the blacksmith so you can gain some weapons that don't require magic...Hm, that should be all regarding meeting up with people. I already took the liberty to set you up with connections that will benefit you in the future as well."

"Sounds like you have gotten a lot done. When is all this?"

"Tomorrow, starting at 11 o'clock." He sighs and puts a hand to his forehead and says, "I can already feel a headache coming up from this. Oh, I've been thinking, we should probably come up with aliases as well as a little backstory for the both of us. It isn't like I could go up and say 'Hey, I'm Vaati and a sorcerer but not the guy that tried killing you all,' and you very well can't just say your name without someone knowing it."

I nod my head in agreeance and start tidying up the place, taking time to make sure everything is in place. I don't know about him, but I will not allow a single speck of dust to be present while I am around. I also take the time to map out and memorize the layout of the house. Ugh, I hate to call myself this, but the butler should know his master's house like the back of his hand. When I finish up, I return to the main living area, where I find Vaati sitting and reading.

"That was fast. Given how dusty this place was when we bought it I figured it would take you a little longer," he says while never looking up.

"I am quite swifter than the average being, you shall soon see. Besides, I can't stand even a speck of dust anywhere near me," I say while opening a window to let fresh air in.

"I never would have taken you for a clean freak. Well, better that than you being a slob. But enough with idle chit chat," Vaati says and closes the book.

"Something you wish to discuss?" I ask and look at him in curiosity.

"More of a request. A few of them," he says and looks back at me. I give him a question glance at which he continues, "First, I can already say you know much more swordplay than I do. If and when I take control, it would be best if I didn't just rely on magic. Second, I wish for you to teach me more about your kind." I give him a slight look of surprise, more towards his second request. I think for a moment before answering,

"Very well. I understand. It shouldn't be a problem teaching you, considering you already know a fair deal, correct?" He nods his head. "And...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to know more about what you shall become. When do you wish to start?"

"Right away. Might as well start now when there is downtime." He stands up, and I follow him outside to what shall be our training area. He summons his own sword while I do so with mine.

"I assume you already know the basics, the typical horizontal and vertical slices, thrusts and spin attacks, correct" I ask. He nods.

"Good. Let us start with a technique that comes from my time. Have you ever heard of the Skyward Strike?" I ask.

"Yes, I have heard of it. I never tried learning it though." He says, though I believe I hear a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Hm. Well, you shall be trying it now. The Skyward Strike isn't just raising your sword up. It is more than that. A Skyward Strike requires you to focus your energy, your very being into your sword. Your must wait until that energy reaches the zenith before you release it, otherwise you shall break it. There are a number of ways to release this energy, depending on which sword move you do. You could to a horizontal or vertical slash to create a psychical sword beam. You could do a thrust to create a ball of that energy, or you could do a spin attack, which it shall extend the length of your sword as well as the power in the spin attack. For now, let us focus on focusing your energy into your blade."

"Alright. How would I do that?"

"It is actually quite a simple process just looking at it. But it could take some practice getting it down so you are able to do it in the nick of time. You must relax your mind, clear it. Focus only on the energy that flows through your being. Focus on every little bit of it, and imagine it flowing up through your body, through your hands and transferring over to the sword." As I finish, he nods and says, "Alright. Got it. Doesn't sound too difficult." I watch as he closes his eyes and takes a long breath in and out. He raises his sword skyward, and in only a few moments, his sword glows with a lavender light.

"Impressive. I didn't think you would get it on the first try. Now, let's just start with a vertical slice. Swing your sword towards me."

"Won't it hurt though?" he asks, and I give him a look of confusement before understanding.

"Worry not, dear Vaati. I shall not be harmed, though I am flattered that you care," I say the last remark in a slight mocking tone.

"I care not for your well being," he says and swings his sword downwards. As soon as it approaches me, I swing my sword the same and dispel it. I nod my head in approval, and instruct him to do the same a few more times, each time using a different swing. I must say, it is rather impressive and shocking he was able to do so this early. I hadn't even thought he would be able to transfer the energy yet. It was a rather pleasant surprise.

"Excellent. Now, let's move to something else. Over the years, I have learned about these sword moves called 'Hidden Techniques.' Have you heard of them?"

"Never."

"Not surprising. They are hidden for a reason. They were used by the hero of the Twilight Era, taught by one known only as the Hero's Shade. Through extensive search, though, I have found these techniques. The one I will teach you now is called the Back Slice. Mostly, you use this for enemies that have a weakness in their back, or are wearing a suit of armour. What you do is you focus on the target, perform a sideways roll so you end up on their backside, and swing," after I say this, I demonstrate it on Vaati, though not actually attacking him.

"Sounds easy enough," he says, and then does so with me. I must say, I am quite taken that he his learning these techniques so quickly. Normally it would take a person at least a day to learn just how to do it.

"I am pleased you are able to learn quickly. That shall be all for today. Learning too much at one time will overcrowd your head, and you could mix these up, and let me tell you, that will not be good on the battlefield. Of course, we shall be practices these two tomorrow before I teach you anything else."

"Great," he says in an exaggerated tone. We both put our swords away and head back inside.

"Now, let us head to the library. I am sure they have some background knowledge on my kind that I can go off of."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry! I know I am a few days late! Sorry, please don't hurt me, I was playing PokemonGO! You can't blame me for that, right?**

 **Anyways, here is chapter three! Enjoy!**

* * *

Are you enjoying the story so far, mortals? I promise things will start to heat up soon, and I would never go back on my word. We just have to push through the build up. Let me to take you back to the story, and I hope you continue finding it enjoyable. Allow me to skip forward a few days to relieve you of having to read more on just training and learning.

* * *

It has been almost two weeks now since we first started with the plan. I would have to say that everything is going along swimmingly, and might I add swifter than expected as well. Much, much swifter. What I thought would take a month took barely two weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if Princess Zelda herself comes knocking on our door. It certainly would be pleasant to see her face. Not because I like her, though, far from it. I hate her. I just find it rather satisfying when things take an unexpected turn for the better.

I have already set up almost everything for Vaati thus far for our plan. He has plenty of connections, has a well known reputation, and is known throughout all of the kingdom. He couldn't even step outside without having to be greeted by some random civilian. And how it annoys him so. It is so amusing to see him all riled up and angry from the people of Castle Town being so friendly. I find my mood brightening up just thinking about it. But enough with my rambling now. I should be thinking about the next step forward, not dilly daddling.

"Hm...What else is next though…? He already is well known and beloved throughout the city. I can't think of what else to do other than wait for the royal family to notice. We have to become well acquainted with them before we even try to get Vaati's powers back...But it isn't doable to just sit around and wait…" I lean back in the chair I am resting on and close my eyes to help concentrate. No, I refuse to just sit and wait for her to show up at our door.

"Well what if we...Oh...Wait...This, this could work. I must tell Vaati," I say to myself before getting up and out the door to find Vaati. I feel his presence come closer as I walk towards the library. I have learned that he tends to always be reading when he has downtime, which makes it easier for me to find him. In my excitement, I throw open the double doors, creating a loud noise that startles Vaati and alerts him of my presence.

"What do you want that you have to open the doors so loudly you idiot?" He asks in an annoyed tone.

"I believe I have figured out what we shall do next. I am sure you know that there is nary a thing we can do that will spread out your reputation throughout the city, for that is already all done. I am also sure you know that we must capture the attention of the royal family and acquaint them. But I refuse to sit here idly by and wait for them to show up at our doorstep."

"So...you are saying we should just go up to the castle and expect them to let us in to meet the royal family?" He says with a mocking tone.

"Yes, that is exactly what we are going to do. If they aren't going to introduce themselves to us, then we shall make ourselves known to them!" I exclaim and through my arms out for emphasis. He puts a hand to his head and sighs.

"They aren't just going to let us in, Ghirahim. Even if I am a well known figure throughout the town."

"Well, it couldn't hurt to try now, would it? It would speed the process up, and besides, it is a personal belief of mine you should always make yourself known to the higher up of power," I say and find myself standing in front of him. I give a small smirk and say, "Isn't it better that way anyways?" He looks up at me and sighs.

"Fine, whatever. We shall partake in this ridiculous notion you have created tomorrow, it is much too late to try and meet the royal family now," he says and returns to his book.

"I am glad you have come to see it my way. I shall fetch you tomorrow then when we shall depart," I say and walk out. Yes, tomorrow shall be an interesting day.

* * *

Ah, tomorrow has finally come at last! I must say, I am excited for today. Not only to continue forward, but I am interested in seeing this reincarnation of Zelda. Why, I haven't seen one of them in quite a while. Several centuries at least. Perhaps even the hero will be there. I haven't bothered at all to check in with him since that wretched sky child. Even thinking about his idiotic face makes me shiver in hatred.

"You cold or something? I didn't know demons could feel that," Vaati says behind me, announcing himself.

"We don't. Just thinking about a certain someone I want to strangle. Think nothing of it," I say, and he doesn't even bother asking for an explanation. Or maybe he just understands the feeling. I would assume with the same person. A different reincarnation of course though.

"Well, enough of that. Shall we depart?" I ask.

"Yea, yea, lets just go," Vaati says and walks out in front of me. I didn't bother with a carriage. The castle was so close to use it was pretty much nextdoor. I follow close behind him, making sure quickly my suit is tidy before we see anyone. Even though I hate the thing, I must always look tidy and well put together. Not just as a butler (ugh), but I always make it a priority. There were no words spoken between the two of us as we walked, but the both of us were greeted as we walked by the various people of Castle Town. It was amusing to see Vaati pretend to be friendly towards all of these people that he clearly loaths, truthfully. I would have rolled on the ground laughing if I didn't have an image to maintain.

"Remind me of the alias we gave you, again?" I ask.

"Damn it, Ghirahim, stop forgetting. We came up with Gufu. Do well to remember it!" He hisses at me. I smile to myself in amusement. Of course I remember, but it brings me satisfaction to no end to irritate him. I say nothing else to him as we continue to walk.

As we step up to the castle, I can see Vaati tense up a little.

"Nervous are we?" I ask in a mocking and amused tone.

"No. Sometimes I just forget that the guards don't know who I am truly," he says. He must not have heard the mocking, for he surely would have said something back. I'll have to turn up the sass.

"Fear not, Vaati. Even if they knew, I shall allow no harm to come to you, not as long as our agreement is in place," I say, and I see him relax slightly, which brings me to confusion. But I don't have time to think about it as we approach the front gate to the castle. I was about to announce us to the guards in front, but they beat me to it.

"Ah, Lord Gufu. The Princess has been expecting you to visit for sometime. Glad to see you have made it. Please, allow me to let you in," the guard says and opens the gates. Honestly, I didn't expect to get in as easily, nor did I expect the Princess was already awaiting. Vaati said nothing, but gave a nod of his head to the guard as a silent thank you for opening the gate. He walks forward, and I follow him. It seems he already knows the layout of the castle. Not surprising, since he took it over numerous times.

"I am surprised that we got in so easily. I guess this idea of yours wasn't so bad after all," Vaati says quietly to me. I smile to myself in satisfaction.

"Of course, it was _my_ idea after all," I say back to him in a hushed tone. Of course, I did have a spare plan of just dealing with the guards, but I guess we won't have to resort to that idea now will we.

"Don't get so cheeky. At least wait until afterwards. This might go down to hell for all you know," He replies back. I sincerely doubt that it will, but I guess it won't hurt to be prepared. Of course, I am always prepared.

"When we meet up with her, don't do much talking, got it? Unless you are spoken to, stay quit. That is how servants work here," Vaati tells me.

"I understand," I reply as we stop in front of the door. I step in front of Vaati and give three knocks to the door.

"Come in!" A feminine voice calls out. I look over to Vaati for confirmation, and he nods his head yes. With that, I open the door wide for him.

"Lord Gufu, you finally made it! Please, step inside!" she calls out. I let Vaati step in first before following him, staying true to the servant act. I close the door behind me and stay behind Vaati.

"I'm glad you finally came, I was beginning to expect that you wouldn't," Zelda said to him.

"I would have come sooner, or course, but there was business that kept me otherwise occupied. I'm just glad my servant was able to clear up some time for me today!" Vaati said with a fake laughter. Of course it sounded genuine to Zelda, but it was apparent to me, and quite funny. I would have laughed if we were by ourselves. As Zelda looked at me, I smiled and bowed my head.

"It was a pleasure to be of assistance to my lord," I say.

"Well, allow me to personally thank you," she says, happy as ever. I would have cringed, but doing so would be rude, and I refuse to give off that image, at least now while I pretend to be a servant. I give a short bow to her before assuming my previous stance.

They continue talking for a while though, but I don't bother to listen to closely. I give an appropriate response when needed, but that happened only a few times. At some point, the wretched hero also joined, which made my blood as well as Vaati's boil, but neither of us showed it. I am sure it will be mentioned later between the two of us though. The three of them chat for a while longer before they decide to part ways, and I couldn't be more thankful. Standing there for hours was just the most boring thing I have ever done, and I have been alive for a _long_ time.

They give their farewells before we head out. I follow Vaati out of the castle silently, in case anyone could overhear us. Once we were a decent ways from the castle, Vaati spoke to me.

"That was the most tedious thing I have ever had to do."

"I'm sure it was tedious to listen to. Thankfully I didn't have to do that, but standing there was just as boring," I reply.

"Yea right. You didn't have to listen to the annoying princess and far too proud of himself hero. Honestly if I was given the option to listen to them or rip my own ears of I would be deaf now." At that remark, I let out a laugh.

"I do not blame you there. But let's us talk more of that later. The real question here is did you get properly acquainted?"

"Oh, definitely. I believe we will be seeing more of them soon, although regrettably for us. It should take no time to have them wrapped around our fingers. Once I gain my power, it sure will throw them for a real loop when I finally take over," he says, ending his remark with a rather evil grin. I too grin. It will surely be a pleasure to see the faces of the two wretched brats once we betray them and reveal ourselves. It surely shall be satisfying.

"I eagerly await the day, my dear Vaati. It shall be a pleasure to once again cause chaos over Hyrule."


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry it is a little late, but here is chapter four! Enjoy!

* * *

Ah, and finally, we find ourselves at the part of my story where things start to get interesting. After Vaati met up with Zelda and Link (although the hero was unexpected), there was not much that happened the few following days. Of course, I trained Vaati in sword art and taught him about the demon race, but that was about it. It wasn't until after four days that things started to get interesting. But why don't you experience it for yourself?

* * *

These last few days have been fairly uneventful, I have to say. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much to begin with, but this is just absolutely dull. And there really isn't much to do around here other than clean, teach Vaati, or just read, and none of those appeal to me at the current moment. Truthfully, if I could have I would have gone into Castle Town to cause destruction. But that wouldn't work out in the end now would it?

Currently, all I am doing right now is lounging on the couch that is in the main living area, just staring at the design that are on the wall. Not the most fun thing in the world, but better than anything I can think of. But my staring was interrupted as I heard three knocks on the door. Thank goddess, something to do. I got up and started walking to the door, a little thankful I haven't changed out of the butler costume from earlier this morning when I went walking. I tidy up my appearance quickly before opening the door. To my surprise, it is the princess.

"Princess Zelda, what a lovely surprise. Whatever brings you to our doorstep on such a fine day?" I ask her as I step aside to allow her in. Once she is in, I close the door and face her.

"Actually, I was hoping to speak to Lord Gufu. Is he in?" She asks. A tinge of suspicious arises in my, but I don't dare allow her to see it. I'll have to make sure to keep an eye on her for now.

"Of course, my lady. Allow me to take you to him, if you will follow me," I said and started to walk to where Vaati was. As we walked, nothing was said, but there were many thoughts running through my head as to why she was here. I couldn't be completely sure why she was here though, and I couldn't quite figure out why.

"I never did catch your name, by the way. May I ask for it?" Zelda asks as we walk. I tense up only for a moment as I remember Vaati and I never did come up for an alias for myself. I quickly come up with one for myself, and make a mental note to tell Vaati it.

"Oh, allow me to apologize for not properly introducing myself, my lady, I must have forgotten. You can call me Rahim," I say, mentally kicking myself for coming up with such an uncreative name. Really, a mind this brilliant could only come up with the second half of my actual name was a little pathetic, but it isn't like Zelda knows my actual name.

"Oh! What a unique name, I haven't heard anything like it," she tells me. I stop walking when we approach the door that leads to the room Vaati is in. I give the door a few loud knocks and say, "Lord Gufu, may I come in?" Normally I would have just entered, but of course a butler couldn't just walk into the room his master is in while there is company. Plus, I had to let Vaati know somehow that he has an act to put up.

"Yes, come in," he says. I open the door and say, "We have an unexpected guest. Princess Zelda is here to visit you, my lord," I say and step aside as to allow her to enter. I see a shocked look passes his features but it quickly goes away. He stands up at his desk and walks to greet her.

"Princess, what an unexpected pleasure. Whatever can I do for you today?" he asks. As she approaches him though, she seems to be giving him a glaring look.

"I would like to talk to you, if you have the time," she says, and Vaati gives me a quick look, too fast for Zelda to notice though.

"Of course. Please, allow me to take you to the drawing room. I'll have tea prepared for us while we talk," Vaati says, and starts walking in that direction. Zelda follows him, and I head to the kitchen to prepare the beverages for him while, once again, thoughts started to run through my head, but this time it was about why she wanted to talk to him. I wasn't nearby them, so I couldn't eavesdrop. I guess I will have to wait for Vaati to tell me afterwards. I quickly finish the tea and prepare it to bring it to the two. Once I get there, I knock on the door, signaling my presence. I am allowed in, and I serve them tea.

"Allow me to leave and give you some privacy," I say, and turn to leave when Zelda interrupts me.

"Actually, could you stay? I was hoping to speak to the both of you, actually," she says. Suspicious once again runs through me as I say, "Of course." I stand at the side of the couch Vaati is.

"Now, what do you wish to speak about?" Vaati asks. He leans back and sips on the tea I made. Zelda too takes a drink before saying, "You see...after you left, I had a feeling that I knew you from somewhere. I was going through the history books we keep in the library when I happened to find something," she said, and took a serious look. Vaati and I glanced at each other quickly before returning our gazes to the princess.

"I do not understand, princess," Vaati says, and I can hear a little tinge of nervousness in his voice. I too have to say I am nervous as well. Neither of us have no idea as to what the princess found, and we both know that the castle has much more information on the past history than the general public.

"You can drop the act, _Vaati_ , " she hisses, and Vaati's face loses the little colour it had. My own blood runs cold at the mention of Vaati's actual name coming from Zelda's mouth. She puts the cup down and says, "I figured out who you really are, demon. Now, I don't know why you are here, or why you have a demon at your side, but you are going to tell me now, or else I'll have all the guards on you," she says, practically spitting out the words. He sighs deeply and sits back, completely dropping the noble act.

"Well, this was sooner than expected, but I guess you had to figure it out sometime, now didn't you, Zelda?" he says in a much more sinister tone, the one that I am used to hearing. He smirks at her before continuing, "I won't tell you my plans though. That would just ruin the fun," he says to her, looking her in the eye and still holding the smrk up. She glares at him and says, "You're playing a game you are not winning, Vaati. I know that you have little to no power if you are in that form. I could have the entire Hylian Guard on you in a moments notice and you would be powerless to stop them.

"Ha! You act like I don't have an ace up my sleeve. You think I don't know that? Do you honestly believe that I would leave myself defenseless, princess? I have my own means of protecting myself, so go ahead and attack me. I would simply love to see Hyrule's own princess cause destruction throughout her capitol city," he says in a threatening and confident tone. I too give a small smirk and nod my head in agreeance. It would make me very ecstatic to see the scenario Vaati just describe. And he is right. He does has his own defense; me, as well as his now more wide knowledge of the art of sword play.

"Besides, do you think the town will agree on every word you say? Don't forget how beloved I am throughout this city. They will try to defend me, afterall, they believe they know me in and out. I seriously doubt they will believe that I am the demon that has, multiple times, caused absolute destruction on Hyrule and usurped the throne from their princess. What is your word against mine right now?" At Vaati's words, I feel pride rise up inside me that I am the partner of someone who is as manipulative and sinister as me. Not quite, but close, afterall, no one can surpass the brilliance of myself.

"You look a little defeated, princess. I have to say I do so enjoy it," Vaati says, and she does indeed look qutie defeated. She huffs and stands up. She begins to walk out, but stops and says, "This is not over, Vaati. I will figure out what your plans are, as well as why you have a demon in your service. Don't think this is over, and don't you dare try anything." Vaati lets out a short laugh, but doesn't respond. She leaves without another word, and he still remains silent. I am not sure if he is feeling victory, or fright, however. His words and demeanor suggest victory, but I know him well enough to know that might not be the case.

"If you will excuse me," I say in a rather hushed tone. Vaati glances over at me quickly, surprised, but before he can say anything, I leave and shut the door behind me. I walk quicker than usual, and I enter the main living area, where I see Zelda about to leave.

"Zelda," I call out to her, and she stops and turns around.

"What do you want?" she says, giving me the same glare she gave to Vaati just moments ago. I walk down the grand staircase that leads to where she was standing and look down on her. I open my mouth to speak, but she interrupts me.

"Listen, I don't know your plans, but heed my warning. I will figure out what he is doing, and I will figure out why you are here. I don't know who you are, but I will figure out why Vaati needs you," she says with sinisterism.

"You act like I care," I say, talking in a darker tone, and I give her a threatening look, to which she gulps and says nothing.

"But...I guess it isn't my business what you do now, is it?" I say, and she gives me a mixed look of surprise and confusion, and again, doesn't say anything.

"Let me just tell you this, princess," I say, sounding even more threatening, so much that it surprises me a little bit, but I think nothing of it now.

"If anything happens to Vaati, I would prepare for serious destruction." She remains silent for a moment before saying, "If you will excuse me." She turns back and leaves.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm going to go ahead and assume you are confused about that last part, correct? I know I was at the time. I had always thought myself to be a merciless demon, incapable of feeling anything such as love or care. But that night, when I had thought that Vaati was threatened, that was the start of something I could have never thought possible. There was also another time, though this happened during the night. Please, allow me to show you.

* * *

Once the princess left, I stood there for a moment, contemplating what just happened. I was horribly confused at what I was feeling, it was something I wasn't familiar with. When I had realized that Vaati was threatened, I just let my body act before my mind. I can't figure why though. All I know is that what I am feeling is something I haven't experienced before. I push it to the back of my mind though. If I cannot figure it out now, chances are that I won't figure it out at all.

I turn my back to the door, and walk forward, intending to do the daily cleaning I do. However, this doesn't take very long, and it doesn't keep my mind off before like how I wanted it to. I just can't seem to stop thinking about what happened, and there is this persistent feeling of worry for Vaati's sake. I put a hand to my head, and close my eyes. I need to stop thinking about this and focus. It was just a spur of the moment thing. Yes, just a threat to my future prize, I tell myself.

With my mind satisfied, I continue, quickly finishing the inside of the house as well as tidying up the outside of it. I take a look at the clock hanging on the wall, quickly realizing it has already been a few hours since the event, and that Vaati is already likely in bed. I take a deep breath and slide down against the door I was leaning against. I run a hand through my hair and bang my head once on the door lightly.

"Snap out of it, Ghirahim. What that was was nothing. Just a spur of the moment, it won't happen again," I say to no one but myself. I sat in silence for a few moments when I suddenly hear a scream echo throughout the manor. I snap my head up, and dash forward, already figuring out that it came from Vaati. I run to his bedroom and slam the door open. What I see gives me a short flashback to the first day we met. He is tangled up in his sheets, a thin layer of sweat covering his skin. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he is having a nightmare. Quicker than I care to mention, I approach his bedside, and shake him awake. I look of worry comes over my features, but I do not think anything of it. I shake him once more, just a little harder, and that seems to do the trick.

"Ghira...him…" Vaati mumbles out. I could tell that he was half awake right now. I doubt that he is going to remember this in the morning. Before I could say anything, he drags himself to the edge of the bed, and to my surprise...hugs me. I look down at him in shock, and I see his body shake as well as hear quiet sobs coming out of his mouth. My eyes widen slightly and I tense, but he doesn't seem to notice. After a moment, I snap out of it, and lightly hug him back, not quite sure of myself.

"I'm scared…" he slurs out. At that, I unconsciously hold him tighter.

"Why?" I ask in a gentle voice, one that I never in my many years of living thought would leave my lips. I wait for an answer, but one never comes. It takes me a moment to realize that he has fallen back asleep. Without knowing it, a small smile appears on my face, and I move him back to his bed. Some of his hair falls over his face, and I brush it out of the way almost immediately. It was then that I realized what I was doing. I stopped my hand in its track, and stared at it, even more confused than before. Why am I acting so caring? I shouldn't be able to feel things such as this. Yet I do, but why is it him that is provoking these feelings? I have made many deals with people before, why is he different?

Instead of leaving, I continue to watch over him as he sleeps, making sure he doesn't suffer from another nightmare. I question these actions for a moment, but they disappear when I hear him make a troubled groan. I stroke his head, and whisper to him, "It is okay. I am here." That seems to comfort him, and I continue doing it well into the early morning. I glance over at the clock he keeps in his room, and find out that it is close to the time he usually awakens. I slip out of his room quietly, and lean against it. I wouldn't want him finding out about how I acted, so unlike me, so close to how a father would act. At least from what I have seen. I stand up straight, and go about doing my daily routine, pushing what happened far into the back of my mind.

It was about half an hour later when Vaati woke up. Just like every morning, he comes out to eat the breakfast I make for him (as he is terrible at cooking, I assure you), but this time, it almost makes me happy to see him. He must have noticed my quick change of attitude, and he said, "Why so happy all of the sudden?" He sits down, and starts to eat. Thinking quickly, I say, "Nothing. Just thinking about the future outcome of all of this. It surely will bring a smile to my face to see this place in ruins." He lets out a small laugh, and looks at me.

"I expect nothing less of you. So eager to cause destruction. I couldn't agree with you more," he says, and I let out a silent sigh of relief. I would never be able to explain myself should he figure out the true reason. I begin to leave, but stop at the doorway and say," There is nothing on the schedule today, since there has been an unexpected turn in our next step forward. I figured I could give you an extra lesson today. I will be out in the courtyard. Do take care to hurry up though,"I say, trying to act like how I usually would. I go towards where we will meet, and prepare for the sword lesson. I summon my own sword, and give a few practice swings. I quickly come up with what I will teach him, and run it through my head as a reminder.

It only takes about ten minutes for him to finish up and come outside, his own sword gripped in his right hand. I explain to him the move, and just like always, he picks up on it with astonishing speed. This continues for a while before I end it, and continue forward with the history lesson. After that, I didn't see much of him throughout the day. It almost seems like he was...avoiding me. I couldn't possibly figure out why though...unless...No...Was he fully awake last night? Does he remember what happened? Oh dear. That is not quite what I wanted to happen.

I should figure out for sure though before making assumptions. I roam around the house until I locate the room I find Vaati in, which comes to no surprise, that it is the library. I open the door, and he looks up at me.

"What do you want?" He asks and goes back to his book.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" I ask, and he gives me a confused look.

"You mean with Zelda figuring out who I am? What, did you think you hallucinated that or something?" He asks, confusion also found in his voice. I step forward and say, "No, after that." He gives me an even more confused look. A good sign that he has no idea what I am talking about.

"Nothing else happened, you idiot. Have you gone mad?" He once again returns to his book. I say nothing else and leave, closing the door behind me. Once I am far away enough where he wouldn't hear me, I groan, and hit my head against a wall.

"Dear goddess, Ghirahim, what the hell are you doing! Why am I acting like such an idiot!" I yell out to myself. I bang my head against the wall a few more times, before just resting it against it. I close my eyes in frustration and ball my hands into fists.

"Why am I acting so...caring?" I say to no one in a tone so quiet I wouldn't hear it if it didn't come from myself.

* * *

Is this confusing you? I would not be surprised if it did. Clearly, it was a confusing time for myself. I can say right now that it took me a while to figure out what exactly was going on with myself, but I guess that must be obvious enough to you. You probably figured it out, didn't you? That I was beginning to care for Vaati, more so than I care to admit, honestly. I had never felt such emotions before this, so it was a baffling time for me. I did understand it soon enough though, but you will hear about that later. For now, I must end today's tale here, but you will hear more next time, I assure you.

* * *

 **Sorry for the shortness of the chapter! To make up for it, I made a little fun art piece for you guys! Check it out on my Deviantart:** **/daaadl7**


	6. Chapter 6

Are you enjoying the story, my dear mortal reader? I hope you enjoyed the twist it has taken, I know I have, looking back on those days. Little did I know back then, that that was not the last moment between Vaati and I. In fact, there was another that happened the very next day. Please, let me show you. After all, it is much more fun and exciting to view it first hand, but I am sure you already know that by this point.

* * *

Besides the brief interaction in the library, I didn't see Vaati again for the rest of the day. In fact, I tried my very best to avoid him, not that he noticed though. It would be a bother to explain myself to him should that happen. But ever since last night, I haven't been able to look him in the eye. Whenever I do, I get this...weird feeling. I cannot describe it, all I know is that it is something I haven't ever felt before, or known before. Honestly, it frightens me a little bit, but I dare not speak that out loud.

I glanced outside, just now realizing it was well into night time. Really, you would think I would know the time, but my head has been in the clouds for a while now. I need to work on that. I haven't performed any duties yet. I can basically feel the dust gathering on my skin, and that shall not do. But like always, it barely takes up any time, but my mind is eased on the fact that the place is clean. I stay in the last room I cleaned, which happened to be the drawing room. I almost dread this place now. But it isn't like it will be used often. Vaati never has visitors anyways. Really, he is so antisocial. It was while I was in the middle of my thoughts that Vaati walked in. I didn't even noticed him until he was right behind me.

"You must be thinking pretty hard to not hear me call your name," he says, and I turn to face him. I look at him, and I feel my heart wrench. I must say, and I hate to admit it, but he looks...really...adorable….His blanket is wrapped around his shoulders, and his hair is an absolute mess. He looks like he just woke up as well

"Yes, my mind was otherwise occupied, my apologizes," I say. I can't help myself but fix his messy hair. He allows me to do so, and it looks almost like he enjoys the gentle touch.

"With what?" he asks, and I lower my hands from his now neat hair.

"Nothing much. I am just trying to sort some things out. Do not let it bother you," I say. He walks past me and sits down on the couch.

"I must ask, why are you awake? Don't you need sleep to regenerate your energy in the state you are in?" I ask. He gives me a confused look for a moment, and then it looks like he realized something.

"Oh, I haven't told you. I don't quite need sleep. Yes, I would need it every once in awhile if I didn't do it every night, but right now, it is more recreational. I mean, there really isn't anything to do during the night," he says.

"Oh, I respectfully disagree, Vaati. There are plenty of things you could do. I know I have found many ways to keep myself occupied throughout the night, but they might not be of interest to you," "Why don't you show me, then? Sleeping isn't exactly the most enjoyable thing," he says and stands up. I look at him in slight shock. I didn't think he would be interested in my affairs, but I don't deny him. I nod and say, "If you truly want to. Follow me, I actually have developed a little routine throughout my time here." He nods at that, and walks behind me.

"I usually start with cleaning, but I already finished that, and I am sure that bores you. I don't know about you, but I do so enjoy a neat environment," I say. To that he responds, "I have noticed. This place always looks emmaculant. I wouldn't say I enjoy cleaning, but I certainly dislike disorder." I hum as a response.

"What next?" he asks. I stop in front of a closed door, and look back at him.

"Well, this is not a constant factor every night, but tonight, I was thinking of practicing, "I say, and open the door. He walks in as I step aside to let him in, and looks around.

"Practice what?" I follow inside behind him, leaving the door open, since I don't have to worry about waking him as he is already awake.

"Have you heard of an instrument called the lyre?" I ask, and he shakes his head no. That doesn't surprise me, most people just call it a mini harp. I mean...I guess that is what it is.

"Well, it is essentially a smaller harp," I say. He looks at me and says, "I didn't know you even played anything. When did you learn?"

"With my previous time with Hylia," I say casually, momentarily forgetting that he knows almost nothing of my past.

"Wait, hold up. What?" He asks, clearly confused, and I realize what I just said.

"Right. It seems I have forgotten you don't know. I have gotten used to everyone just knowing. All the demons do, after all. Well, let me explain. I wasn't created by Demise, I was created by Hylia, as the original Master Sword," I say, and he looks even more confused.

"You? The original Master Sword? I guess I can accept that, you don't really have a reason to lie after all, but that brings up another question. Why did you leave?" I close my eyes and laugh. Of course he wouldn't understand the troubles.

"It wasn't all happy and rainbows up there with the goddesses, Vaati. I had to do Hylia's bidding, and let me tell you, that is one of the most insufferable tasks I have experienced. Really, she expected me to do _everything_ she told me to do. I had no choice as well. I don't care to admit this, but back then, I was pathetic as well. I was just barely able to hold my own. It was by Hylia's design that I would grow with her chosen hero, but that is just pathetic. A sword should already be a master in it's own right, already powerful and ready to protect its wielder. I cared not for growing alongside someone. I wanted power right then and there. So I betrayed her, and became the darker half of the sacred sword, and served under Demise. Under him, I was able to become stronger than I ever hoped to become." After I finished my explanation, I looked over at Vaati. He seemed to still be processing the information, and that lasted for a few minutes.

"I see. So you betrayed her for power. I can understand that. I did something of the sorts as well, but I am sure you know that, it is in all the books afterall. But still," he says, but trails off. I look at him confused, and he puts a hand over his mouth. His shoulders start shaking, and he bursts into laughter.

"It's just hilarious! You, as that damned hero's blade! You!" He says before laughing harder. I too crack a smile at the thought.

"Yes, I guess it is amusing," I say, and chuckle just a little.

"Can I ask you a favor?" Vaati asks after he has composed himself. I nod and him, and he continues, "I haven't actually ever heard a lyre, or a harp, for that matter. Could you...Would you play a song for me?" He asks, his voice laced with slight embarrassment, but his simple request warms my being.

"Of course," I respond, and make a lyre appear with my magic. The actual instrument wasn't anything impressive in my mind, but Vaati looked at it with fascination. Without another word, I played a song I learned while I was under Hylia's command. I believe it was called Nayru's Wisdom. Despite being named and created after the accursed goddess of wisdom, I found it to be a very soothing song, and one that I quite enjoy playing every so often. I closed my eyes, and let the music flow through me. It has been a while since I have last played, and I question why. I have felt more relaxed that I have in years. It isn't a long song, so it ends rather shortly. I open my eyes, and I see Vaati looking even more fascinated.

"Beautiful…" he whispers, but quickly realizes what he just said and blushes lightly. I chuckle at his response as well as the redness on his cheeks. He looked quite adorable, all flustered like that.

"I appreciate your compliment. It isn't often one hears such a thing from yourself," I say, and set the lyre down beside me. He glances at it a few times, opening his mouth like he was about to say something, but quickly shuts it. He glances away shyly before asking, "Would you teach me how to play?" he asks, and I look at him in shock. I had no idea that Vaati would ever be interested in playing an instrument, especially one as connected to the goddesses we both loath. However, I push the thought to the back of my mind and respond with, "I would be happy to." Vaati looks back at me, and he looks...almost excited. At his adorable look, I feel a slight blush of my own rise to my cheeks, but it would be impossible to see in this lightning, which was barely none considering it was night time.

"Not right now though. We can start tomorrow. For now...could you continue playing?" Vaati asks, and I nod my head, not saying anything else before playing another song for him. I play him a song that I haven't played in centuries, a song I am surprised I remember. I believe it was called The Ballad of the Goddess. The melody has been long embedded in my mind, and despite being the song of my former master, as I play it, I feel calmness rush through me, and something close to happiness. I played it a couple of times through, and once I finish, I glance at Vaati, and the previous look of fascination has once again appeared on his face.

"Ghirahim, I have a question. It is rather off topic, but it is one I have been meaning to ask for a while," he says, and I set the lyre down next to me.

"Yes?" I respond.

"Why do you cover your eye like that?" he asks, and I sigh.

"Well, I figured you would ask at some point," I say. I brush the hair out of my face, exposing the other half of it.

"It is because of this," I say and point to the diamond on my cheek. I continue with, "Hylia gave it to me when I was created. I hated the thought that I was forever marked as her's. I am unable to remove it, so it is a part of me for the rest of my eternal life. That is why I cover it," I explain. He nods at me, a signal that he heard as he doesn't respond.

"Now, I ask the same for you," I say. He too removes the hair in front of his face to reveal a scar.

"I got this scar a long time ago. From the hero and his four sword. It hasn't gone away because of the blade and its power, at least that is what I believe," he says and lets it fall back in front of his face. Honestly, my blood boils at his explanation. Yet another reason for hating the eternally reborn hero. How dare he!

"I don't like looking at it. A constant reminder that I was defeated. All because he is better than me…" he says, and he trails off at the end.

"No, it isn't because he is better than you," I say with a bit of force. He looks at me in shock and I continue, "He only defeated you because he is the chosen hero, because the goddess's intervention. If he didn't have a piece of the triforce, I can say with confidence that you could easily surpass him. I would go as far to say effortlessly, in fact," I say in response. The look on his face stays there, and then he suddenly looks away. In a quiet tone, one so quiet I barely heard it, he says," Thank you, Ghirahim…" I smile at him, although he doesn't see it. He opens his mouth to say something else, but is interrupted by a yawn. I chuckle a little and say, "Guess you need more sleep than you thought. Why don't you go back to bed?" Vaati nods, and stands, but stumbles in drowsiness. I sigh to his surprise, pick him up.

"I can't have you tripping and falling over yourself," I say, and he doesn't respond. He tightens the blanket around himself, and leans against me. It warms my heart to see him act so, and I smile lightly to myself. As I walk down the hallway, I can tell he has already fallen asleep. I gently move his so I am able to open the door, and walk in. Once he is all tucked in, I begin to walk out when I feel a hand grab mine.

"Don't go…" Vaati says. "It's lonely," he continues, and releases me. I turn to face him once more and say "Of course. I shall stay with you, Vaati." He doesn't hear though, as he falls back asleep almost immediately after requesting my stay. Quietly, to myself, I say, "Standing at his side for all eternity. Having an life forever with him...makes being immortal look not bad…"


	7. Chapter 7

Ah, it seems I have forgotten something. You must be wondering why there hasn't been anything done of the contract yet. Truthfully, back then, I wondered that as well. I had assumed at the beginning that he would regain some of it if not all over time, but that has yet to happen. Now, as I reminisce, it seems so simple that I kick myself over it for not realizing it. But why don't you view it for yourself?

* * *

As I promised him, I stayed with Vaati the rest of the night. Which left me with time to think, something I didn't really want to do. I was left alone with my thoughts for a while when I suddenly realized something. Vaati hasn't regained any of his powers. I had thought that they would come back over time. I was almost positive of it, in fact. So much confusion has been going on that I hadn't even realized it up until now. I had no reasonable explanation though as to why that has not happened. It isn't sealed away in the sword still, if that was so, Vaati wouldn't be here. Plus, one cannot be separated from their magic like that. So that is out of the picture.

It also didn't just completely disappear, I could still sense the potential within him. And I know for sure that he still has access to little parts of it, that being proven whenever he summons his sword for practice as well as a few minor things. Hmm...I guess...the only plausible reason is that...it is locked away inside of himself. But I do not know how, nor understand. If that truly is the reason, I see not why he is unable to unlock it.

"Ghira…"I hear Vaati say suddenly. My, he just doesn't want to stay asleep tonight, does he?

"Yes?" I respond, matching the quietness of his tone.

"Come here…" he murmurs out. Much like last time, he is only half awake right now. I do as he told me, and step closer to his bedside. When I approach, he pulls me down, making me sit on the bed. I watch as he drags his body on top of my lap, and then promptly falls back asleep. I chuckle, not even minding that I wouldn't be able to move for the rest of the night. Absentmindedly, I stroke his hair as I go back to figuring out a reason as to why his magic problem. It stays like this for a while, and before I know it, it is already morning.

I break out of my thoughts when I feel Vaati begin to stir. I must say, I am eager to see how he will react when he sees our current position. I stop stroking his hair as his eyes flutter open. It takes him a moment to fully wake up and process just where he is. Once he does, his eyes widen quickly and a deep red blush forms on his face.

"Good morning," I say, and he shoots up and turns away from me. I laugh to myself, quite enjoying his reaction.

"Get out," he responds, making sure to cover his face, even though it is no use. I chuckle and leave as he asks, closing the door behind me. I walk over to the kitchen as I have not been able to prepare his breakfast yet, and begin to do so, however this does not take a long time, especially since I have to rush to finish it before Vaati comes down. Once it is all prepared, I set it out on the table, and await his arrival. Usually he would be down within a minute or two, but he seems to be taking longer today. I bet I can guess why.

While I am waiting, I hear a knock on the front door. I silently wonder who could be visiting so early in the morning before heading to the main living area. When I arrive, I open the door, surprised to see a guard.

"Good morning. May I help you?" I ask.

"And a good morning to you. I have orders from Princess Zelda to deliver this letter to the servant of Lord Gufu," he says, and hands me a letter. I look at it in shock before taking it from his outstretched hand.

"Thank you. Is there anything else?" I ask. He shakes his head no. He says his farewell, and walks away. I close the door, and look at the letter.

"What on earth does she want from me?" I ask as I head back towards the dining room, already able to sense that Vaati is there. Once I get there, Vaati looks at me for a brief moment before averting his gaze.

"Where were you?" he asks as he bites into his food. I approach him and say, "Someone was at the front door. A castle guard. Apparently Zelda has something to say for me, she has written me a letter," I explain. Vaati finishes up and looks at me.

"Well, open it. Might as well see what she wants from you," he says and I nod. Without further ado, I open the letter and unfold it. I quickly read over it before explaining, "It seems she wants to see me today. At nightfall."

"Well how about that. I wonder what she wants with you," he says.

"Yes, as do I. Ah, by the way, I have something I wish to talk to you about," I say. He sighs and leans back into his chair and says, "Fine, but make it quick. What do you want?"

"Well, I was evaluating our situation, and I seem to have found a problem regarding your magic. You see, if this were a normal situation, you should have naturally gained at least some of your magic back by now. Obviously, that is not the case. The only plausible situation I could come up with as to why this is...is because you already have it. It is just sealed up inside of you for whatever reason," I explain. He looks up at me, most likely not expecting that last little tidbit of information.

"Sealed up inside of me? How is that possible? Wouldn't I just be able to unlock it myself?" He asks.

"I am unsure. Either you have to look deep within yourself, or allow me to do so," I respond. He sighs in frustration, obviously not happy with that information.

"It would seem simpler if you would do it. I care not to look deep within myself, so why don't you just do it?" He says. I nod my head in agreeance. It most likely would be easiest for myself to do it.

"Very well. You might want to lie down, though. I am unsure of how long it could take," I say. He gets up without another word and heads to the nearest couch, which would happen to be the main living area. He lies down, and I kneel down next to him. I close my eyes, and focus my magic so they flow into my hands. I can feel them glow as the magic flows through them, and within a moment, I am inside of Vaati's mind. I take a look around, a little surprised at how it looks. I have never done this sort of thing before, at least while the person was willingly doing so, and it looks quite different.

What I see is a long hallway, filled with doors. I already know that these doors lead to memories that linger in Vaati's head. What I hope to find is a memory, one that he has forgotten it seems, of a moment of sealing. I step forward and towards the first door, opening it and witnessing the first memory. This one happens to be of his first attempt of conquering Hyrule, and I watch through it, quite interested in exactly how everything went down.

I watch it through until the end, and close the door once it it done. I go through this process with many other doors, each time watching each memory, looking for any clue moments as well as learning more about Vaati's past. I continue this for a while, until stumbling upon a rather peculiar door. It didn't look any different, that is for sure, but there was this...vibe radiating off of it. I have a very strong feeling that this is the memory that I need. I open the door, and prepare myself for whatever I see.

.

.

.

.

Before I know it, I am back in the real world, kneeling in front of Vaati. He looks at me, awaiting my explanation of what I saw. I slowly remove my hands, the faint glow that appeared over them disappearing. They rest at my side as I process what I just saw.

"Ghirahim? What is it? You obviously saw something, so spit it out," he says, but I do not respond.

"That...DAMN CURSED GODDESS!" I shout, clearly startling Vaati. I stand up with force, and turn my back so I do not face him.

"Who does she think she is! How dare she interfere with something that is FAR beyond her!" I grip tightly at my hair, almost ready to pull it out. I grit my teeth in anger as I go through again with what I saw.

"What are you talking about? What goddess, and what did she do?" Vaati asks. I turn to face him, my anger more than present on my features.

"It was that damned goddess Hylia! I am unsure how, but she somehow managed to place this curse upon you! How, of all people, how is it that SHE is the one behind this!? She has been gone for centuries now!" I shout. Vaati takes a look of contemplation.

"Calm down. I understand your anger perfectly, but it will get us nowhere right now. Go take a few minutes to cool off. Or...go kill something if that is what you like to do," he says, and I go do just that. Honestly, killing some bokoblins sounds like one of the best ideas in the world right now. Seeing their blood splatter should do the trick. I do so for a while, killing bokoblins at a very quick pace. They don't even have time to react to my summoning before my sword swipes through them.

By the time my anger has cooled over, my clothing is completely soaked in blood as well as the area around. I snap my fingers, using my magic to restore the environment as well as my cloths. Although I still feel frustration welling up inside, this will do. I doubt I won't be angered for a while, so I will make do with this. I summon my sword away and brush myself off. It has been quite a while since I went on a spree like that, and it was quite a relief. I make my way to where Vaati is, and when I walk in, he looks at me.

"Well, that took much longer than I thought it would. Are you cooled off?" he asks.

"As 'cooled off' as I am going to get." I say and run my fingers through my hair.

"As long as you aren't going to explode like before. Anyways, I was thinking while you were out, about how Hylia could have achieved putting this seal on me" he says, and I look at him as a sign to continue.

"Right as you walked it, I had this idea of how she did it. It is my understanding that the goddess Hylia descended into a mortal body, correct? That mortal being the princess." I nod my head yes, and he continues. "Well, as I am sure you know, she is reincarnated every one hundred years, but there has got to be some time between her death and next rebirth," he says, and I begin to understand where he is going.

"Are you suggesting Zelda becomes Hylia again between her death and next rebirth?" I ask.

"Yes, but it just an idea. I am, however, unsure of how to find this out for sure," he says and sighs. It is then that an idea strikes in my head, and I smirk. Vaati must have noticed it because he asks, "What is that smirk for? Do you have an idea?" I cross my arms, a wave of satisfaction crossing over me at my plan.

"Oh yes. Not an idea, but a plan. I think Zelda should be anticipating more than just a friendly conversation when I visit her tonight."


	8. Chapter 8

Ah, now this is a part of my story that I remember quite vividly. It was the night when I finally realized something, something that had been persisting in my thoughts for a few days now. It was shameful that it was because of the princess that I came to this realization, but nevertheless, I am glad that it happened for the ending result was most desired. But that is for a much later time. For now, why don't I show you what happened?

* * *

I didn't tell Vaati what my plan was for tonight with the princess. Not in fear that he would disapprove, I know he would be all for it. No, it was rather because I didn't know what would happen. You see, I am going to be using the technique I used on Vaati just a few moments ago. I am going to explore in the princess's mind, and try to find any forgotten memories of her being Hylia recently in between her death and next rebirth. With a little bit of luck, I'll find it, and figure out the reason of why Hylia has done such an annoying thing.

I had run the scenario through my head a few times, picturing the possibilities as to why Hylia did this. I came up with a few easily, those being that she wants to get back at me for betraying her and because she knows Vaati is a danger. Both are a plausible explanation. I sighed to myself as I began to think of ways to somehow break this seal on Vaati, but none came to mind at the moment. I guess I wouldn't be able to think of answers until I see the memory that resides in Zelda, and that is if it is even there. I have no idea what to do with it isn't.

I shove the idea to the back of my mind as I realize I should be leaving any minute. I go to find Vaati, letting him know that I am departing and that I would give him the results when I return. Once I leave the house, I take a deep breath. Honestly, I am a little nervous at what will happen, but I refuse to let it hinder my path. I walk forwards to the castle, giving a casual greeting to the few people who are still outside. When I approach the gate, the guards recognize me and already know that Zelda wants to see me. They say nothing as they open the gate for me and allow me to pass.

I have the way already memorized from the last time I was here with Vaati, so I have no needs

to ask for any directions from the few guards I pass. When I approach the door that leads to Zelda, I give a knock. Normally I would have just walked right in, but there are guards nearby, and it would wreck my image of being a servant. That is if Zelda hasn't told them, and by there not hostile behavior, I am going to go ahead and say she has kept it silent. I hear Zelda say come in from the other side, and I open the door. It looks like she has been expecting me for a little while now, and she looks annoyed that I showed up so late. Good.

"I must say, I am curious as to why you called for me, princess. As just a mere humble servant, I am honored," I say with a mocking tone, a smirk on my face. She lets out a click of annoyance and says, "Oh please. You are neither humble nor a servant." I laugh. Of course she is right about that. I step forward and close the door, making sure that no one would overhear us. It already was a disaster that Zelda found us out so early on, I refuse to let anyone else know. At least at the moment.

"Right you are, princess, but that does not answer my question. Now, what do you want with me? I have many things to do in such a short time. Although I am sure it is a goal of yours to hinder anything I do," I say.

"While it is fun, I am more interested in what exactly I am hindering. I am going to get the information out of you tonight, whether you want to or not," she says, and it seems like she is trying to intimidate me. A foolish attempt really, for I cannot be intimidated so easily, especially by one little girl. I take a seat across from her, and smirk at her.

"Well, I would love to see your attempts at intimidation. They won't work, but it sure will be interesting," I say.

"Much like you, I too have a trick up my sleeve. I am sure you noticed the lack of guards in the castle on your way here. Care to hear the reason?" She asks, growing a smirk of her own. I look at her, prompting her to go on.

"As we speak, the house you and your 'master' reside in is surrounded by most of my guards. If you or him take one wrong step, I'll have them destroy the place, as well as Vaati," she says with a dark tone. At her words, I feel a sinking feeling in my chest and I lose my smirk quickly. Although Vaati is gifted in the art of sword play, even he cannot take that many people on at once in the magicless state he is in,

"Ah, I knew that would get your attention. That will make things easier, it seems." Her evil smile grows at seeing my reaction.

"Fine then. I'll answer your questions to the best of my ability. Now why don't you hurry up? I have things to do and the idea of your guards trampling over the property I work so hard on every night is repulsive." I close my eyes in frustration. I don't like being backed into a corner like this, but if I don't answer, Zelda will have the guards all over the place, and Vaati for sure won't win that fight in his current state. I have no choice in this situation. It seems my original plans are going to have to change at this twist.

"I want to know first of all who exactly you are, and why you are here. We have long since believed that demons were an extinct race, so to suddenly see you here is quite a surprise," she says, and I scoff.

"A race so powerful as my own will never go extinct. We just merely keep to ourselves these times." I say, trying to avoid the question, but I know it is for naught.

"That doesn't answer my question. Who are you and what are you doing in Hyrule, teaming up with Vaati?" she asks again. Once again, I let out a sigh,

"Fine, you win. You mortals have given me many names throughout the centuries, but I go by Ghirahim," I say, and she looks at me in surprise.

"As in the Demon Lord Ghirahim? But it says in the books that you were destroyed when Demise, your master, was sealed away in the Master Sword!" She exclaims, and I find it a little amusing to see her in shock. It also pleases me that she recognizes the name.

"No, I was not destroyed. I fled the area. Even I can tell a losing situation, Zelda. As loyal as I was to Demise, I wasn't going to stick around for certain death and suffer through the fate of being sealed up as well. After that, I kept my profile low up here on your lands, but I am well known in my realm, " I explain. She processes the information quickly and then adds, "Now, what are you doing here then? What could you possibly benefit from helping Vaati?"

"Ah, it seems you have answered your own question. What I am doing here is helping Vaati," I explain.

"But why?"

"Ah, the good old question of 'why.' Normally I don't like people questioning my decisions, but I'll let it slide by this time. Now, as to the why. You see, it is our plan to find a way to get his powers back, that much you already know. But what you don't know is the ending benefit for me. I don't make deals unless it will benefit me as well, and this one will be a great one. Once he has all of his powers, he is to remain with me as my 'partner in crime,' as you say," I explain.

"So basically your ally in the destruction of Hyrule?" She asks, and I nod and say, "Exactly. Try as you might princess, even you with your hero and your triforce won't be able to stop me from fulfilling this," I say with a slightly dark tone. She glares at me and says, "Your overconfidence will be the death of you as well as Vaati, for the light always blots out evil, Ghirahim, do well to remember that." I laugh at that remark.

"Believe what you will, princess. Now, do you have anything else to ask of or can I leave now?" I ask. She shakes her head no, and I stand up.

"Oh, but I do have something to ask of you." I say, and she looks at me confused as I step closer to her. She looks up at me and says. "And what is that?" I also look back at her, and she gulps at the evil residing in my eyes. Without another word, I force myself inside of her head, easily breaking through her struggling and forcing her into a non respondent state. I smirk, looking at the environment I have seen many times. While it does resemble the long hallway from when I went into Vaati's head, it is filled with black, and all the doors are locked tight as another resistance of my invasion. It never really has been a hindrance, and it isn't now as I easily shove past the doors, looking into each memory of hers. But this time, I walk out if it isn't the right one, unlike Vaati's where I stayed through each one. I had looked through many doors until I found the right one and when I did, I exited her mind. Immediately afterwards, Zelda grabbed my wrist.

"Wait," she says, her tone much softer than I expected.

"What do you want now? I have to get home, since I am assuming you are going to be sending the guards to attack, are you not?" I ask, and she looks up at me.

"I think I understand now. You are going above and beyond with this whole situation with Vaati, I noticed, and I have wondered why for a while. But I finally understand," she says, and I give her a look of confusion. I certainly didn't anticipate this, and I haven't a clue what she is talking about, nor why she is speaking so soft to me.

"You care for him, don't you? You care a great deal for him, so much so that you go out of your way to please him in any way. I would go as far to say that you love him...Am I right?" She says quietly, and I say nothing. I pull my wrist from her grip and say, "I am not saying that at all, but so what if I did? Why do you care, it doesn't have anything to do with you." She gives me a knowing look, which annoys and angers me slightly before looking down at her hands on her lap.

"I won't have the guards attack, Ghirahim. But don't think I am going soft on you. Just this once I am letting you off, don't mistake it for mercy. I...understand what you feel…"

"What I feel right now is annoyance. I don't know what you are talking about, I cannot feel any emotion like caring or...love...At least...no...nevermind. I shall take my leave now. Do well to not bother us anymore," I say, and start walking to the door to make my way out. Before I walk out of the door though, she calls out to me.

"While I do not agree with your perspective of evil, Ghirahim, even you deserve to be happy," she says quietly. If I did not have enhanced hearing I might not have heard it. I stop dead in my tracks, and mull that over for a moment before saying, "You know princess...Perhaps I have you all wrong now. You are much more tolerable than that accursed goddess you have descended from." I look back at her and give her a small smile to her shock. No other words were spoken between us, and I take my leave.

When I arrive home, I see none of the guards, and that the house is in perfect shape. I feel a small wave of relief pass over me, a little glad that the princess has kept her word. I open the door and find Vaati awaiting my return in the main living area. He looks up when he hears the door open, and I walk over to him.

"Well, what happened? What did she want?" Vaati asks, and I take a seat next to him.

"What she always wants, answers. Except this time, she was able to back me into a corner and get them. She didn't ask for anything too specific, so I was able to get off with vague answers that could have been easily pieced together, if you ask me," I explain and look at him. When I meet his gaze, suddenly, Zelda's words come back to me. Care...and love...could it really be possible? Vaati must have noticed something wrong because he asks, "What is it? You got this weird look on your face?" I immediately push the thought away and say, "Nothing, just thinking. Ignore that. Anyways, she now knows who I am, and the basis of our objective. But she knows...nothing more," I say, pausing for a split second.

"Why were the guards surrounding the house?" he asks. I respond with, "It is a threat. She knew that you wouldn't be able to take them all at once, especially with me gone. If I or you made the wrong move, she would have attacked the house...and you. That is how she was able to get me to answer. However, since I answered, she didn't." He looks down for a moment.

"You said earlier that she should be expecting more than just a visit. What did you do?"

"I invaded her mind, much like I did with you but it was forced when I did it with her. I explored her forgotten memories until I found the one I needed," I say, and he nods.

"What did you learn? How did Hylia manage to put this curse on me?"

"Just what you had suggested earlier. She was able to do it after Zelda died. Zelda became Hylia during that time before her rebirth, and placed it on you," I explain, and sigh and lean back.

"But why though? She hasn't done that to anyone before, not that I know of, so why me?" I looked down and thought for a moment.

"She didn't do it because your threat to Hyrule. She did it because of me. She must have had a vision of what would happen. This is some sort of test for me. But for what or why I did not learn. She didn't explain it at all in the memory, so I will have to figure it out…" I say. Vaati thinks for a minute or two before saying, "Then so be it. If this is some test from Hylia for you, then you are going to pass it. _We_ are going to pass it. I don't care what we have to go through," he says, and I look at him in shock before smiling at him.

"Yes, we shall. After all, we can overcome anything, I am sure," I respond, and he smiles back at me. My heart skips a beat at the sight, and once again, Zelda's words ring in my head. Perhaps...just perhaps...I really can feel...


	9. Chapter 9

Over the course of that night, Vaati and I discussed how we were to try and break the seal on him. We already knew that it was a test of some sort, but as I have said before, we were not sure of what exactly. We discussed briefly why she would give me a test, and what it could be for. Options such as a test of if I truly was a demon or not as well as to test my loyalty were the most likely, and the options we discussed the most that night. But I didn't anticipate the rest of what was going to happen.

* * *

Throughout most that night, Vaati and I had discussed our next move forward. We already had some ideas as to how we could break this seal, but we did not discuss it much longer as Vaati had grew tired. He excused himself and went to bed, and I remained still as I continued to think of possibilities of how I could get rid of this hindrance. If it really was to see if I was a demon fully, and that I betrayed Hylia of my own accord, I would have to show that, but I have no idea as to how I would prove that. If Hylia wanted to see that then she herself would have to explore my mind, but even the possibility wouldn't cross us for a long while, and neither of us had the time.

The same goes for if my loyalty still remains with evil. Of course, it does, but I haven't a clue as to how I would prove that to her without waiting for her next appearance. Once again, neither Vaati nor I have that sort of time right now. I let out a deep sigh of annoyance.

"Really. Going this far just to put a block in my path. You really are a royal pain. And to not even say for what reason you do so…" I say to myself, growing more frustrated the longer I think. I close my eyes and lean back, relaxing as I allow myself a break as I feel a headache coming on. I lay back on the couch, feeling drowsiness overcome me, which brings me to conclusion. I haven't needed sleep in centuries, I shouldn't even need it now, but the more I think about it, the more sleepy I feel. I give into it quickly as I am barely able to fight it, and blackness seeps over my vision.

When I am able to open my eyes, I find myself in a familiar environment of my time when I was still Hylia's servant. I look around, confused as to why I am here. I walk forward, feeling a strange pull to the temple Hylia used to reside in. I let my instinct take over as I walk the path I used to walk so often everyday, looking at the scenery I haven't seen in millenias. I arrive at the grand temple, pushing the heavy stone doors with ease. What I see is the same as it was before when I was last here. There are no signs of any aging at all, and in fact looks good as new. When I turn my gaze upon throne that lay at the top of the staircase in front, I find someone I dread to see.

"Hylia. I should have expected it was you that brought me here" I say, anger evident in my voice. My general tone darkens as I speak to her, and she gives me a sad look.

"Yes, I was the one that brought you here. I am glad I was able to reach out to you. I expected that it would take much more effort to get you here. It seems that something is clouding your mind, Ghirahim," she says to me, her voice still holding that ethereal effect even now.

"Tch. Think what you want, I do not care. What do you want with me?" I say as I begin to approach her.

"Is it such a crime that I wanted to speak with my son?"

"I am no longer your son, I hardly was even back then. I would have thought you learned your lesson when I turned against you," I say as I begin to walk up the steps that lead to her throne. Once again, she gives me a sad look and says, "Even though you are not on the same side as I anymore, you are still beloved to me, Ghirahim. I created you, raised you, cared for you…"she says, trailing off at the end.

"Raised me? Cared for me? You created me for the sole purpose of being used by your hero, only to be sealed off for eternity in the end. The only mistake you made, _Hylia_ , is that you gave me emotions, a will, a chance to realize that there is a much better way to live than to be used and thrown away," I say, finally standing in front of her.

"A better way to live? The way of the demons is no way to live. You slaughter for no good reason, you blindly follow a man of complete and total evil, and all for what? Power? A want to be recognized? Ghirahim, that is no way to live. Even you should realize that."

"No, I don't. I got what I wanted under Demise, something you can never give me. Demise actually recognized me for my potential, gave me power beyond my wildest dreams, made me feel like I had more of a purpose than just serving a path already laid out for me."

"But isn't that what happened?"

"What?" I give her a look of confusion, not quite understanding what she means. She stands up and approaches me.

"You don't think you walked a set out path, my dear Ghirahim, but you did. It was Demise's plan all along that you would revive him. Fight the hero in the process, do everything in your power to make sure he is resurrected, and then he used you once he was risen," she says and puts a hand on my cheek. I stand still, not sure of what to say.

"Ghirahim, he didn't recognize you, he used you. I was the one that recognized you. The one who loved you, put everything I could into making sure you turned out the best you could be. Even if you don't see it now, I still hope that you will once again walk the path of the light. You don't deserve this, even if it was you that brought it." I remain silent, processing the information. She smiles at me.

"All I ever wanted is for you to be happy, Ghirahim, even if you don't believe it. That is why I have placed a trial for you," she says, and that grabs my attention.

"Trial? You mean putting a seal on Vaati's magic, don't you. So, it wasn't just because you saw him as a threat," I say, not taking mind that her hand still remains on my cheek.

"Yes. It seems you don't realize it…" she says.

"Don't realize?" I ask, and she smiles sweetly at me.

"I want to test your ability, Ghirahim. I want to see if you really still can feel, as you so deny that you cannot. You see, I had a vision. A vision of the future that prompted me to do this. But...it is something you will have to wait and see. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what you have to do. You are going to have to figure it out, you and Vaati together. I wish you two the best of luck," she says, and my vision fades before I can say anything."

When my eyes open, the first thing I see if Vaati hovering over me, a slight look of concern overcoming his features.

"Dear Goddess, Ghirahim, you worried me. I thought something was wrong with you," he says, backing away as I sit up.

"How sweet. You were worried about me," I say, and laugh when he blushes. Changing the topic, he says, "Whatever. You sleep like a damn dead man." I shift so I am sitting on the couch rather than laying, and say, "I was more than sleeping, Vaati. Hylia...she came to visit me." When I say this, Vaati looks at me in surprise.

"Hylia? She was able to visit you? That explains why you were sleeping, I guess. I assume she was able to while Zelda was sleeping as well," he says, and I nod, confirming his statement.

"Did she say anything about the seal?" Vaati asks.

"Yes, she did. She has confirmed that it was indeed a test, or a trial in her words, but she won't say why. All she said was that she was prompted to do so because of a vision of the future she saw," I respond, and look at Vaati. When I do, I feel something stir inside of me. As I often hear the mortals say, it feels like butterflies in my stomach. My mind goes to the words of Hylia, and I begin to suspect she knows more than she is letting on. I brush away the feeling.

"Did she say anything else?" He asks, stepping aside as I stand up.

"...No...nothing relevant that you should worry about. I assume you haven't had breakfast yet, yes? I shall go get started on that," I say, and abruptly leave, to Vaati's surprise. I exit the room before he can say anything else, and I get started on his food. Within no time in it finished, and I bring it out the dining room, where Vaati already is. When I approach him, he looks at me, concern once again appearing on his face.

"Ghirahim, you are acting strange. Something else obviously happened with Hylia," he says, looking me in the eye. I feel surprise cross over my face. I sigh, and set the plate down in front of him.

"I guess there is no need or use in pretending there wasn't. Yes, she did say something else, but nothing that should concern you. I am just momentarily mulling over her words. I promise I will not linger on it for a while. Do not let it concern you." He nods as an understanding and says nothing else to me. When he finishes, I clean up and go about what I usually do before giving Vaati his sword lesson as well as a history lesson. I quickly do those as I realize just how close the time is to when I usually do so, and make my way to our usual meeting place when I finish. Vaati is already there as per usual, sword at the ready.

"Early as always. Today's lesson is going to be different today," I say as I make my way in front of him, also getting my sword at the ready. He gives me a confused look, prompting me to continue.

"You see Vaati, I have taught you all that I know. You have been easily mastering techniques, permitting you to learn a few in one day. You have learned much, so today, I am putting all that you know to the test," I say. He nods, and says, "What are you going to do, then?" I smile at him.

"Today, you are going to be putting your abilities to the test. You and I are going to fight, no holding back. I want to see just how far you have become, and if you really can be called a master of sword play," I say, getting in a stance to either defend myself or go on the offense. He nods again, and gets in his own stance as well. I make the first move, swinging my sword at him with great speed. He parries, and thrusts his sword at my middle, forcing me to jump back to avoid the stab. He runs towards me, and I slash at him when he is close enough. The tip of my sword rips through his clothes, but luckily doesn't actually hit him. We go at it for a while, the both of use using various techniques, dodging and swinging, trying to get the upper hand.

At some point, I summon another sword, though I am not quite sure when. Vaati does the same, the both of us duel wielding, making the fight that much more challenging and exciting. I feel my blood pump in excitement. I haven't had a sword fight this challenging in a long time, and the thrill and rush flows through my veins. A smile grazes my lips and we end up nick and nick at each other, the both of us pushing all of our ability into making the other stumble and win a chance. Thanks to my larger build, I win eventually, nicking Vaati in the arm. Honestly, it hurts me to hurt him, but if I really want to see his skill, I have to.

In no time, we are both at opposite ends, breathing heavily. I hold my hand up, a signal that this fight is over. His shoulder slump as do mine. I wipe the sweat from my forehead and say, "I must say, Vaati, I haven't had a sword fight this exhilarating in a millennia." He manages a small smile and says, "I appreciate the compliment, coming from such a master as yourself." We both will our swords away, and I approach him to his surprise.

"It seems you pass the test,"I say, and he looks up at me in confusion.

"What test?" he asks, and I smile down at him.

"You pass my test. You are a worthy swordsman, one of the strongest if not the strongest I have ever met,"I say.

"And?" he says, and I chuckle a little.

"I accept you as a worthy master, Vaati. For as long as we are partners, I accept to become your sword in your time of need. All you need is to call to me, and I shall come to you as your blade," I say, and he gives me a look of surprise and awe.

"But I thought you already had a master that wields her sword," he says.

"Used to, my dear Vaati. I used to. Ever since Demise has been destroyed, I have been roaming around, a masterless sword. At least, up until now," I respond. His look of surprise remains, especially as I get down on one knee, and bow in front of him,

"From this moment on, for the rest of eternity, I call you my new master, worthy of wielding a sword as magnificent as myself," I say, closing my eyes and smiling as I remain bowing in front of him.

"Ghirahim I...am honored, he says, and I look up at him.

"As you should,"I add with a smirk. He laughs.

"There is the old you," he says, and I nod.

"Just...don't call me master. It already is weird enough when you have to do it out in public, I refuse to let you do so when we are alone." I stand, and look down at him.

"Never had plans to."


	10. Chapter 10

During that night, it was like something changed between the two of us. Yes, there was the fact that Vaati was my now official master and all, but I am talking about...emotionally, I guess you could say. I am not sure if it was just me who noticed it, but it seems like we connected, and we worked better with each other. I didn't know it back then, but my steadily growing feelings for Vaati also took a rather large leap forward. It felt like every time I looked at him my heart would flutter as well, which back then confused the living hell out of me. Shall I interest show you something else that increased my feelings for the little demon?

* * *

After I officially renounced Vaati as my master, we went back to figuring out ways to get past this trial of Hylia's, deciding that his little history lesson on demons could wait for a while. This, at the moment, was much more important. It was all we did for the rest of the night, neither of us even realizing how much time we have dedicated to this topic alone. And even though we spent hours upon hours on it, we still did not come up with a valid plan, much to our displeasure.

"This is getting ridiculous, Ghirahim. The both of us combined should be able to come up with a reason why Hylia did this! Or at least a reasonable lead!" Vaati exclaims, and I nod my head.

"I agree with you, Vaati, believe me. But based on her tone as well as the previous context and implications, it cannot be whether I am truly loyal to evil, or if I willingly went. She knows both for sure, I made a point of telling her that when she contacted me…"I say, putting a hand to my chin as I think.

"Well, is there maybe anything you are looking past? I don't know what you saw, so I cannot say for sure, but really look, Ghirahim. She must have at least hinted about what this trial is for, exactly," he replies.

"Alright, fine, I'll think it through again, just give me a minute." I close my eyes as to help me concentrate, thinking of each individual detail, and then doing so again just to make sure. When I finish, it suddenly hits me, and my eyes open.

"What is it? You think of something?" Vaati asks, and I cross my arms.

"Yes, I did, but I am afraid I do not quite understand. I remember Hylia said she wanted to test my ability to feel, but that leaves more questions. What feeling exactly? Hatred? Mercy? Concern? And what am I supposed to be feeling about?" Vaati close his eyes, and lets out a sigh.

"But at least we have somewhat of a lead. It is better than none at all," he says, opening his eyes and looking at me.

"Yes, I suppose that is true. But it just means that we are going to go through a hell of a lot to figure out what exactly Hylia means. And there are many 'feelings' I can have,"I say with a little annoyance.

"Ugh, my head is starting to hurt just thinking about it, I cannot imagine what you must feel. However, I grow tired. We shall finish this conversation tomorrow morning, that is if there isn't anything to do?"

"Unless the princess drops by for whatever reason, there is nothing going on tomorrow,"I say as an answer to his question. He nods, and leaves the room to go retire. I let my mind rest from the troubling topic, and lay down and relax, though this time I do not plan to be forced to sleep, although I did find myself feeling refreshed when I woke up. Maybe that is why Vaati still does it almost every night. Honestly, I should do it once or twice. Actually, now sounds like a good time. Maybe it will ease my slowly growing headache.

I close my eyes, and in no time, I find myself asleep.

.

.

.

"Ghirahim…"I awaken to the call of my name, a little confused and disoriented as I am still waking up. I sit up and stretch, figuring out that it was Vaati saying my name in his room. Although I am a little confused as to why he is calling me at what is probably a late hour, I find myself walking to his room. I open the door, and I see he is awake. Honestly I thought he was just sleep talking, but I guess I was wrong.

"You called? I ask. I step in and close the door, walking to Vaati's bedside. He sits up and leans against the headboard.

"Yes…" he says. I look down at him, finding his messed up hair a little adorable.

"What is it that you need,"I say, fixing his hair.

"Hylia,she...she visited me," he says, and my hands stop in their path.

"She...visited you. What did she say?" I ask, quickly finding myself and I resume fixing his hair.

"She first said that she was interested in meeting the one that has captured her son's attention so much, which was kind of weird, her calling you her son."

"Yes, she still thinks that I am hers. I refuse to call her mother though, not in my right mind,"I say and finish up, pleased at how his hair looks, neat and flat.

"The entire meeting didn't last long. She said a few things that I don't quite remember, but I do remember that she wished me, well, us, luck. I assume she means the trial," he explains.

"...I see. Did she say anything else?" I ask.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. It was bizarre though, I have no idea what she meant by it," he responds, looking down at his hands on his lap. He remains that way until I say, "And? What was it?" He looks at me and replies, "Take care of Ghirahim." I nod as a way of saying I heard him, but I do not say anything,

"Do you have any idea of what she means? Certainly she can't mean it literally, I can't do much right now besides with a sword," Vaati says. I look at him and say, "I haven't a clue either. I guess just another thing we will have to figure out, but it isn't anything that is of importance to our main mission. We can put it aside for now." He nods, and I cross my arms.

"If that is all, I believe I shall go about my nightly routine. I wish you a pleasant night, Vaati," I say, but as I begin walking out, he says, "Stay." I stop, and turn to face him.

"Stay with me tonight, just in case," he continues in a quiet tone. I smile, although he couldn't see it in this little light.

"My, showing me a little bit of weakness?" I say with a little bit of mocking, but mostly teasing.

"Shut up, just do as you are told," he responds, not nearly sounding as hostile as he wanted. I chuckle to myself, and return to his bedside.

"If it is your wish, it is my command," I say as he pulls the covers back over myself without another word. I stand there for a few moments, assuming Vaati is already fast asleep.

"Ghirahim…" I stand corrected.

"Feeling talkative tonight?" I ask, and he turns to face me.

"More like I don't feel like sleeping," he replies, and I nod an understanding.

"What would you wish to talk about?" I ask, not quite sure what exactly to discuss.

"I want to know more about you, to be honest. We have been partners for a while now, but I do not know much about you," he says.

"I have to say the same about you, but feel free to ask any questions," I say.

"Well, alright. Just how old are you?" he asks, getting straight to the point. I ponder it for a moment and say, "To be completely honest, even I am unsure anymore. More than a millenia, I can say. Perhaps two. I lost count a while ago. Afterall, what is time to someone who lives forever." I respond, and he nods.

"And how about yourself," I say, asking of him the same question. He shrugs his shoulders and says, "I do not know either. I have been sealed in a sword so many times that I just stopped counting the years." I hum in understanding and respond with, "Yes, that makes plenty of sense. But you shall have no need to worry about being sealed anymore, not with me at your side." He gives me a brief look of shock before it turns to gratitude.

"I know it doesn't mean much to you, but it does to me. Being locked away in such a miserable place for a long time is truly one of the most merciless things a person can do. Having it done, what, three times? Honestly I am surprised that I haven't learned to associate fear with swords at this point." He turns his face slightly, and his hair falls over it. Without thinking, I brush it away, tucking it behind his ear and gaze into both of his eyes, something I have only done once before. He leans into the touch slightly, and I smile.

"You need not to worry about that, anymore,"I say, and he closes his eyes.

"I suppose I don't," he responds. He lets out a little sigh, but more of content than anything.

"I already know you play the lyre, but do you know how to play anything else?" Vaati asks. I respond with, "As a matter of fact, I do. Over the course of these many years, I have learned to play many instruments. I find them a pleasing way to kill time. The ones I know best besides the lyre are the piano, the violin, and the ocarina."

"You should play me something sometime," Vaati responds.

"Perhaps. And yourself?"

"I myself have always found a strange fascination with the violin. It is the only instrument I know, I haven't really bothered with any others," he responds.

"Hm...do you like flying?" he asks.

"Honestly, I never had the opportunity to try it. It sounds like a lovely idea, I have to admit however, and I would enjoy the chance. I can picture myself having quite the time," I respond, and Vaati grows a small smile.

"It is belief of mine that the sky is where I truly belong. That is why I have taken such a liking to the palace of winds. Not even because of its grand size, something that can easily compare to the castle of Hyrule, but because it is high up in the sky, where I can constantly feel the wind." I smile slightly at his explanation, and respond with, "Perhaps that is why they call you the wind mage, my dear Vaati. Well, that, and your knack of wind magic." His smile grows ever so slightly and he says, "I've always had an affinity towards the wind, the sky, and flying, even before I became a mage."

"Than perhaps it was fate that you turned into a mage of the wind." He nods, agreeing with what I said.

"What magic do you specialize in? I've never seen you use that much magic before," he asks, deciding to sit up. I look at him and say, "Well, I never really thought about it. I guess you can call it darkness magic. It doesn't really have any other element other than being magic of evil, otherwise called darkness, so I guess you can say that." He smiles and laughs a little bit.

"Fitting. A dark person should be a master of dark magic," Vaati explains, and I smile a little and chuckle.

"Yes, I guess so. Besides, I could not see myself doing anything elemental such as fire or anything of the such."

"Yes, it would be a little weird. I also cannot see it," Vaati responds, and he yawns.

"Perhaps you should go back to sleep, Vaati. There is still yet a few hours before sunrise. I shall remain at your side, as requested," I say, and he nods.

"I suppose. It seems my body has gotten used to sleeping every night, I guess I really shouldn't break the habit," he explains, settling back once again in his bed, pulling the covers up to his neck. I smile at the rather adorable scene.

"Yes, it wouldn't be the best of ideas," I respond. We say nothing else, and in a few minutes, I hear Vaati's breath even out, indicating that he has gone back to sleep. I look at him, taking in his sleeping form, almost like when he first discovered me, but this time, it feels different. Instead of just wanting to partner up with him for personal gain, I feel something a bit...deeper. I feel a need to protect him, make sure that nothing bad ever happens to him again. It is a confusing feeling, but it is something that I do not deny anymore, as I have had it for a while now. I brush the bangs from his face as they have fallen over his right eye again some time ago, and when I do, Vaati lets out the smallest smile. I too give one myself, and find my hand resting on his cheek.

"Yes, I have to make sure nothing happens to him...not after all he has been through already. He hasn't even had the chance to grow up, all of his past forcing him to accelerate at such a speed...Vaati...If I had the chance, I wish I could give you the opportunity to give you the life you deserve," I say quietly to myself. I pull my hand away, and stay as I remain for the rest of the night.


	11. Chapter 11

For the rest of the night, I stayed at Vaati's side. It was the only night that nothing plagued my mind, a major relief for me at the time. But little did I know that it was only the calm times before the storm. But please, do not allow me to inhibit you from experiencing it yourself. I shall cut it short this time.

* * *

The few hours left of the night time were one of the most peaceful I have ever spent. For once in a long while, Nothing was nagging in my mind, forcing me to pay attention to it and get lost in my surroundings. It was a nice change of pace given the more recent, troubling thoughts I have had. The only thing on my mind at the moment was Vaati, and how peaceful he looked currently. While he dreamed, he had the most serene look on his face, and it startled me for a moment. Usually I see the face of someone who has constant troubles on his shoulders, and with good reason because that is exactly what has been going on.

But now, he looked so peaceful I almost forgot that it was someone who was constantly annoyed, someone who would never show his weakness to anyone despite the consequences. I found myself smiling gently, but I didn't force it away. In fact, it was almost welcomed right now. I removed my hand from his cheek, just not realizing that I had not removed it from a while ago. He shifted in his sleep, and for a moment, I feared that I had woke him. This quickly disappeared when all he did was roll over, and I chuckled to myself.

I took a quick look outside, finding that it was already sunrise. Vaati should be waking any moment. It was actually the sun that usually woke him up when it was high enough, I learned after a few days of staying here. That is why he always kept his curtains open, and also the reason why he chose this specific room; because it faced the rising sun. I stepped away from his bed, and onto the balcony connected to his room. The last time I was on it was when we first officially met.

I look at the sun just barely rising over the horizon, finding the sight glorious. The sun's rays cast a brilliant golden light over everything, letting everything and everyone know that it was daylight, and that today was going to be a bright and warm day. I put my hands on the rails, finding myself lost in the sight. I pulled my cloak off over my form, finding it a little bit too warm for it today. With a snap it disappears. With it gone, I feel the warm rays of the sun on my arms, glad that I wasn't in the suit, for I wouldn't be able to feel the wonderful embrace if I was in it. I felt a cool breeze pass by, blowing against me and through my bangs, flowing them aside only for a moment as it passes.

"Beautiful…"I hear behind me, and I turn to see Vaati awake.

"Yes, today's morning is quite a show, isn't it?" I ask. He stutters over his words, and I see a light blush pass his cheeks.

"Yes, of course, the sun," he says, and I give him a confused look, but let it slide. I look back out to the scenery, and in my peripheral vision I see Vaati standing at my side. I give him a quick glance, my heart almost stopping at the sight. The sun was still rising slowly, and its rays reflected off of Vaati's pale skin and hair. I have never seen a sight more beautiful than him in the light of the rising sun. I look away, questioning my thoughts for a moment as I feel a small blush rise, which I will away immediately. I thank the goddess that he didn't see it.

"Is this your first time watching the sun rise?" Vaati asks me.

"In a long while, yes. I usually prefer turning my gaze to the night sky, what with all the stars and the moon proving to be quite a lovely sight. But...watching the morning light is a close second, now," I reply, and he nods his head.

"It is a small thing I do every morning. It is nice to wake up to when everything around you is chaotic," he says, and I nod in agreeance. He is quite right, and I am honestly surprised I never thought of it that way.

"You said yesterday that there is nothing planned, correct?" Vaati asks me.

"Yes, you are right. You are free to do as you wish," I say, turning my gaze to him. He sighs in content, probably thankful that there is no plans. I know I am.

"It will be nice to finally sit back and relax for a full day. Perhaps you can finally teach my how to play the lyre. We never did get around to it yet," he says.

"If you wish, we can do so now. Why not practice outside on such a lovely day as today?" I ask, and he looks at me.

"I see a reason why not. Do you have a spare" Vaati asks, and I nod, summoning the both of them. I take hold of mine, and pass the other to him.

"It isn't a full scale harp, so it is actually quite simple to learn. You just have to memorize what string is what note, as well as learn how to read the sheet music. But to be honest, I never use those, I find learning by ear much easier and more fun," I say. I point to each string, labeling what note it is, I explain to him how to read the sheet music, but it seems he also prefers to play by ear. I also explain to him the various chords, as well as any fingering techniques. Within no time, he is already decent at playing it. He seems to be able to pick up on any skill with remarkable skills.

Within only a few hours, he is already playing songs, although not quite confidently, which is understandable. I chuckle a little whenever he messes up, taking on a brief look of irritation of not getting it perfect. When he gets fully frustrated, I end the lesson, already surprised at how much he was able to take in.

"Don't worry, Vaati. Even I had troubles playing it my very first time. You will get the hang of it eventually. We can continue at a later time. It is already well into the morning, why don't you do something to relax, enjoy the day?" I ask, taking the lyre away from him and willing them away.

"It's been a while since I have been able to do, I don't even know what to do. Have any recommendations?" Vaati asks.

"Hm. You can always go to reading,"I suggest, but he shakes his head no.

"I already do plenty of that every day. I want something different today," he says. I think for a moment, going through a list of what might be entertaining for him.

"Why don't we go practice?" he suggests, and I look at him in confusion.

"Practice what?" I ask.

"Well, I am going to have to get used to your sword. I suspect it is quite different from my current rapier. It actually sounds entertaining right now. Plus we can take advantage of the warm weather," he explains.

"Very well, then. That is what we shall do. I shall go prepare some targets for you, it shouldn't be long," I say before teleporting to where we usually trained. I set up some various targets I found in the armory, and when I finish, Vaati approaches. This time, minus his usual cape and hat. Probably so they wouldn't get in the way with learning how to handle my sword form.

"Seems like you set up plenty. Why don't we get started?" he asks, and I nod.

"So...how exactly is this going to work? Where even is your sword vessel?" he asks. I smile, and point to my chest and say, "Right here. I'll have to pull it out for you this time. Watch carefully, you might have to do it if I am unable to," I say, putting a hand to where my heart is. The area glows with a orange-yellow colour, and the pommel and grip of the sword appear. I take hold of it, and pull it out with a gasp of pain. Yes, it was incredibly painful, but it had to come out sometime. I am just glad it wasn't in battle. I stagger for a moment as the pain lingers, leaning my weight on my vessel.

"Are you alright?" he asks with concern, I look at him, and give him a weak smile.

"Just...give me a moment," I respond, taking a moment to gather myself before standing upright. I offer the sword to him, and he grabs it and looks in marvel at it.

"Its magnificent," he says, looking the obsidian blade up and down. I smile at his compliment, despite that he probably didn't even know he gave me one.

"And huge," he adds, and I laugh at the sight. The sword, as it is now, is still in the form to fight Demise, what with his large form, or used to be. The sword itself now is literally bigger than Vaati is. I am surprised he is able to hold it. I hold my hand out to it, and with my magic, I adjust the size so that it will fight my current and now eternal master.

"How is that?" I asks, and he tests it a couple of times.

"Much better," he says. I nod, and to his surprise, I glow with the same hue as when I pulled the sword out. I transfer myself into the sword, much to Vaati's surprise. Within the sword, I call out to him, "I am still able to talk to you like this, but you are the only one that will hear me, keep in mind. I have found it to be a huge advantage," I say,

"I understand. So what, do you want me to just attack the targets or should I use a method?" he asks. I explain to him what I want him to do. First, I have him attack a section of the targets with the Sword Beam, and then with the other sections, he uses the Hidden Skills I taught him a while back. There were a few others, but none worth mentioning now. He was a little shaky at first, still getting used to the new sword, but like anything else, he picked up on it with great speed. I was honestly impressed at his skill at handling a new sword, especially one as magnificent as myself. He finishes in no time, and he wipes the sweat that accumulated on his forehead. I smile to myself in pride for him, although he is unable to see it.

"I am proud of you, Vaati. You have once again proven to me that you are without a doubt the best swordsmen I have ever encountered. It is a pleasure to be your sword,"I compliment him. I see his mouth open to speak, but to both of our surprise, another voice calls out.

"Quite an impressive display." I see Vaati's face pale, and it takes me a moment to recognize the voice.

"Ah, if it isn't the hero himself. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Vaati says, in a mocking tone. We both know that Link knows who Vaati really is, but I question if he knows who I am.

"I thought I would drop by to visit the local demon. I am surprised you haven't tried to attack yet," he says, practically spitting the words out.

"It seems he doesn't know the full story," I say to Vaati. Of course, as I said before, only Vaati hears me.

"Oh, I definitely plan to, that much you can count on. I just haven't decided when yet," Vaati replies, playing along with the story that Link knows. Link's eyebrows furrow in anger.

"Don't plan on actually succeeding, scum," he replies. Vaati chuckles in amusement, but doesn't reply to that. Instead he says, "What is the real reason you are here? I have better things to do than waste my time talking to you." I feel Vaati adjust my sword in his hand, discreetly of course, preparing to attack or defend at a moment's notice.

"I came to just take care of you now. I don't care what Zelda says. You a threat that needs to be taken care of immediately. So it shall be me that deals with you!" he exclaims and lunges forward, drawing his sword out quickly and thrusting it at Vaati. Vaati, in turn, parried the attack, taking advantage of Link's brief surprise by bashing at him with me. I recognized it as the shield bash I taught him, but since he does not use a shield, he made due with my sword. He lunged forward at Link as he staggered, swinging his sword horizontally. Link just barely moved out of the way but not before my sword vessel cut into his cheek, leaving a nasty cut that will most certainly scar.

"What, you didn't think I would put up a fight?" Vaati says, and Link looks at him momentarily before swinging at him again, with Vaati easily dodging it much to Link's surprise. Vaati moved quickly to the left and thrust at Link. Link in turn dodged Vaati's attack, and came at Vaati again. Throughout the fight, I noticed that Link was just swinging currently, not even using any technique or skills like Vaati was doing. He was just blindly swing, which both infuriated me and delighted me. I was delighted because that would make it all the more easier, but infuriated at the thought that he could just waltz in and think he would win.

"Use the Sword Beam when he isn't up close to you. It will give you the advantage of surprise as well as give you a chance to attack," I say to Vaati.

"Got it," he says. When the chance arises, Vaati does so, swinging his sword skyward, and in the next second, my vessel lights up with a bright lavender glow. He swings his sword down vertically, and I boast at Link's surprised face. He jumps out of the way, obviously in shock at the unfamiliar sword move, which was his mistake. His attention was torn from the fight to observe the strange lavender light, and in that brief moment, Vaati moved quicker than I have ever seen him move. It surprised me, but it was a pleasant one. When Link looked back over here, his eyes widened considerably in surprise at seeing Vaati approach him with such great speed. Vaati took his chance, and swung his sword diagonally. This time, it hit Link, leaving a sizeable wound. It wouldn't kill him, that is for sure, but it was enough that he wouldn't be able to fight for a while.

I smirked at the feeling of his blood on my blade. It has been such a long time since I have felt the feeling of cool blood run down my sword, and it was even more satisfying that it was the hero's. Vaati licked my blade, tasting Link's blood, much like I would have if it was my own. I didn't mind, though. If it was anyone else's blood besides the hero (and perhaps the princess), I would have not been happy.

"I must say, Link. Your blood tastes like nothing I have ever had before. I do desire more of it, but now is not the time to kill you. It was a pleasure to harm, you however. It certainly has put a spring in my step," he says. I smirk, feeling satisfied that I have been able to wound the hero once again with my vessel.

"Yes, it certainly is a unique taste. I still remember the last time I tasted it, and it still makes my mouth water," I say to him. He nods his head in acknowledgement, but doesn't reply to me. Smart. It would be an advantage later on if Link didn't know that Vaati's sword was in fact conscious.

"Now, get out of here, before I change my mind, _hero_ ," Vaati spits out. Link picks up his sword, and puts an arm to his wound.

"Don't think you have won, Vaati. I was just surprised, that is all. I will be back," he says, and leaves without another word. Once he is out of sight, I revert back, standing at Vaati's side. Vaati starts to chuckle, which turns out to a full out laugh quickly.

"That was just utterly pathetic! He wasn't even able to put a scratch on me! He couldn't even approach me without getting hit!" Vaati exclaims. I smile, and let out a short laugh of my own.

"Indeed, I would have expected much more of a fight coming from him." Vaati calms down after a few minutes, and composes himself.

"That was most certainly the best thing I have done in a while. Today really is turning out to be a fantastic day!"


	12. Chapter 12

Seeing Link suddenly show up as quite a surprise, is it not? I mean, he can't just skip ahead to the final boss. Ah, but I digress. As I am sure you know, he was quite easy to beat. Pathetically easy, actually. But just that little moment led to a series of events, I am sorry to say. While I am only able to tell you currently of what happened next, you will soon see the rest. Please, do enjoy today's tale.

* * *

I must admit, today is getting off to a pretty excellent start. First the beautiful seen, followed by a splendid lesson with Vaati, and finally the battle with Link. And it isn't even the after noon yet! Today truly is quite the spectacular one, and there is even more to it. After the battle, Vaati cleaned off my sword vessel. He decided to keep it on his back, not liking the idea of having to rip it out of me every time he needs it, since he will no longer use his standard rapier unless it is absolutely needed. I would never admit it, but I was a little flattered. But never mind that. Once he was finished with that, we went our separate ways for a little bit. I do not know what he is doing, but I myself decided to do a little reading.

I headed to the library, and when I entered, I browsed the hundreds of books kept on the shelf. I didn't have anything in particular in mind, however. When I found one that seemed suitable enough, I seated myself on the chairs set up in here and read. Being a fast reader, I was able to finish a few books quite fast. When I found myself bored with the activity, I left. I walked aimlessly throughout the large house, hoping to find something to do on my way, since I hadn't anything in mind of what to do.

"Ghirahim," I heard as I walked passed a slightly ajar door. It took me by surprise for a moment. I didn't bother to figure out where Vaati was, so up until now, I had no idea where he was. I walked back a little, and opened the door to Vaati's bedroom.

"Yes, what is it?" I asked, stepping inside and to where he was, which was the balcony.

"Look down there," he said, and pointed in the direction where I should turn my gaze. I followed it, and in the distance, I could see the princess. It was evident she was making her way over here, and she was obviously upset by the look on her face as well as the way she was walking. Well, to hell with the rest of the day off, I guess.

"What could she possibly want now," Vaati says, and sighs.

"I am going to go ahead and say it was because she probably saw Link today. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that he was attacked, and she assumed it was us," I responded. Vaati let out a deep sigh of annoyance.

"Great, just perfect. I can guarantee that she is going to shout about it. Assuming that we were the ones to seek him out and attack, and not the other way around," he says.

"Do not worry about her for the moment. I shall deal with her."

"Good. Try not to get me involved, while you are at it. I really don't want to deal with this right now," Vaati says. I nod, and exit the room, heading to the main living area. When I arrive just at the top of the grand staircase, Zelda bursts through the large double doors, her face flushed with anger.

"Ah, Zelda, such a pleasure to see you again," I say while walking down the stairs as she also approaches me.

"Just what do you think you are doing," she asks with anger when she stomps in front of me. I understand what she is asking, but just for fun, I say, "Why, talking to you of course. Now, is that all?" She huffs in anger, and stomps her foot. I laugh.

"You know damn well what I mean! Just who do you think you two are, attacking Link like that! And I thought you two were smart," she says. I lose my grin when she says that, and I cross my arms.

"Now, what makes you think he is the victim? That hero of yours is the one who seeked us out," I respond.

"Link would never do that, stop lying!" she exclaims. I feel annoyance flow through me at her words, and my grip on my arms tighten as a way to alleviate. It doesn't work, however.

"Now, I thought you held the triforce of wisdom. Clearly not if that is what you believe," I respond.

"What are you talking about?" she asks, confusion taking place of anger for a moment before it disappears.

"What do we have to gain from attacking Link out of the blue like that? The both of us are smart enough to see that would damage our image as well as scheme. I thought you would have realized that as well. He seeked us out while we were sword training, and _he_ engaged _us_ in battle, not the other way around," I explain. To my surprise, she doesn't completely ignore what I just said, and she actually mulls it over. It takes her a moment to respond, "But...why...no, you're just manipulating me!" I sigh, feeling a headache starting to grow.

"You are a demon, and demons are known to manipulate their victims! Don't expect me to just fall for your tricks!"

"You seem to misunderstand, Zelda. We manipulate when there is personal gain. Tell me, what could either Vaati or myself gain from wounding Link?" I ask. She thinks about it, her face becoming more bleak the more she thinks about it. I wait for her answer, and smirk when she says, "I...can't see any personal gain...but why would he do that?" she says, more to herself than as an answer to me.

"I seem to recall that he said 'I came to just take care of you now. I don't care what Zelda says. You a threat that needs to be taken care of immediately. So it shall be me that deals with you.' Does that shed any light to your situation?" I ask, already well knowing that it does.

"He really said that…?" she asks quietly in a weak tone, and turns her gaze down.

"Of course, if you don't believe me, I could show you. And even you must know that altering memories is not something magic is capable of," I offer. She lifts her head again to look at me, and she opens her mouth to speak when a voice coming behind me interrupts.

"I don't think such acts are necessary, Ghirahim. If she doesn't believe us, then let her live in her own fantasy. But by the look on her face, I can safely say that she does believe that her precious hero defied her," Vaati says as he steps down the staircase. I turn my head to face him when he steps to my side.

"I am surprised to see you here,"I say.

"You were taking too long," he replies.

"My apologies,"I say, and return my gaze to the princess. I take in her meek vibe and say, "You are rather quiet, princess. What say you? Surprised to see that your hero is the enemy here?" She averts her gaze and says, "I...am sorry for accusing you like that...I will make sure that Link stays in line this time." She turns to leave, but stops when Vaati calls out to her.

"Oh, and princess?" She tenses up and turns to face him.

"Yes?" Out of the corner of my eye, I see Vaati start to grow a smirk as his hand grips the hilt of my sword vessel from his back, which he left on since this morning to get used to the weight.

"Tell Link that if he ever pulls a stunt like that again, he will receive more than just a measly little cut." She gulps and nods, understanding the threat. She leaves, and closes the door gently behind her, a great contrast to her entrance.

"Tch. She should think her actions through before acting on them. This could have been avoided easily if she had," Vaati says.

"Yes, I agree. It was a rather foolish act on her part. But at least she learned her place, for now," I respond. Vaati sighs, and says, "Well, I guess so. Hopefully she follows through with her word to keep the hero in line. While it was enjoyable, it also was a nuisance to deal with. Next time something like this happens, do something to take care of immediately, will you?"

"Of course. I will deal with it better next time," I respond. He takes his leave, I don't bother asking where. For the remainder of the day, I go about my own business, mostly deciding last second what to do. I didn't see Vaati for the rest of the day. I mean, not that I _wanted_ to see him, though. It just happened that our paths didn't cross for the remainder of the sunlight.

.

.

.

It was now nighttime. At the very least it was midnight, and I found myself with nothing to do. Currently, I was lounging in the main living area, a place I have noticed I have spending a lot of time in for some reason. I didn't think to hard on it though, it was just a coincidence. I laid back fully, staring at the painting that hung above the couch. I took in every detail as I gazed at the different parts. It was nothing spectacular, I could have done better if I wanted, but it was just something to pretty the place up for any company that would come by. Not that Vaati ever invited anyone here though. Whenever we are out, I always hear people asking him why, but he just brushed it by. I understood that it was because he hated them, but I digress.

It was a while after when I heard my name called. It was no longer an abnormality that Vaati would request that I stay by his side after his nightmares that persisted everyday. And not that I would ever admit this, but I found it to be an enjoyable time. I got up and made my way to his room, opening the door and walking to his bedside. He did not need to ask anymore for my presence, not after the first few times.

"Another nightmare, I see. Was it any worse than usual," I ask. Vaati told me before that mostly it was a reoccurring dream, but he wouldn't tell me what of though. It hurt me a little that he wouldn't tell, but I brushed it aside as his fear.

"...Yes," he says. He turns over, facing away from me as he says this. I look at him, not expecting that answer. It was almost always a no, since it was the same dream. Tonight's must have been different.

"Do you wish to talk about it?" I ask. I see him shake his head no, and I respect his wishes. No other words were spoken between us, and in short time, Vaati was back to sleep. As per usual, I stood there, looking over his as he slept, and whenever he shows distress, I would do my best to comfort his unconscious mind. He turned to face me, and I worried for a moment that I woke him up, but was relieved when he was still asleep. I smiled at him, thinking to myself how adorable he looked. I stroked his hair as he slept, finding that it comforted him some time ago, and his face took a look of content. He mumbled in his sleep, and I felt a pang in my chest. I couldn't help but think of how cute he has while he slept.

Never before would I have thought that I would have changed like this. Before all of this, I would have laughed and called you insane if you said I would adore someone this much as to devote this much time to them to make sure they were happy. In fact, I would have thought that it was a huge joke. But now…

"Ghirahim…" Vaati said. I looked at him, expecting to find him awake, but his eyes remained closed. My smile turned even wider, and to my momentary surprise, he grabbed my hand, and held it. His own face took on a small smile, and I could barely myself back from just grabbing him. Suddenly, Hylia's words echoed throughout my head. She said that she wanted to see if I really could feel, and I think I finally understand just what she means. I believe I finally know just what she wants me to feel. I averted my gaze down, and I chuckled. She wanted to see if I could still love. She wanted to see if I was capable to devote myself to another, but not for my own gain of power or anything of the such, but simply because I wanted to. The idea was stupid, but it was exactly what I was feeling right now. I had always denied these feelings that lingered in the back of my mind, thinking they were just temporary, something to hinder me. I do not think so anymore, now that I understand just what I am experiencing.

I started to laugh at myself, doing so quietly as to not wake the focus of my now discovered feelings. This was not going to end up good, I already know. Vaati would never feel the same. There was no way he could feel the same. I was just a tool in his eyes, something to achieve his ultimate goal. I was beginning to chase something that would never be mine. I clenched my fist as the other was still being held by Vaati, and I looked down. I looked away from him, not wanted to risk the possibility of him seeing my face if he woke up. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood. To myself, so quietly that only I could hear, I say, "Will our stars ever align, my dear Vaati? Is there even a chance my love for your isn't unrequited? Although to you, my heart I surrender, would you ever surrender yours to me?" For the first time ever, a tear fell from my eyes.

* * *

I hurt my own feels with this one.

The ending wasn't supposed to be this, but thanks for this song, it is: watch?v=f4JVW_uidFI

You can find a few of the lyrics at the end :D


	13. Chapter 13

While I usually start with a little introduction, I believe this time I shall refrain from such. The ending is nearly upon us, and I would hate to hinder you from experiencing it fully.

* * *

It was a soon as the tear fell from my face that I felt pain. However, this pain was different. Instead of just feeling it pulsate through the one area, I could feel it through my entire being, however the center of it was where my heart was. I gasped at the suddenness of it, as well as the sheer amount there was, and put a hand to my chest. I staggered, dropping to my knees while the pain only worsened. This was unlike anything I have ever felt before. It was like I was burning from the inside out, or that someone was slowly tearing me apart. I groaned here and there, trying my best to remain silent so I wouldn't wake Vaati. Despite how crippling this pain is, I do not want to worry him, considering I don't even know what is happening.

But despite my efforts to remain as quiet as I could, I couldn't help the shout of pain that slipped past my lips. I fell over, gripping my chest with both hands and closing my eyes, hoping that somehow it would alleviate the pain, but to no avail. A thin layer of sweat covered my skin as I curled up, trying everything I could to somehow stop the pain. I shouted again when a sudden pulse of it spread through me, almost like a wave.

"Ghirahim!" I heard Vaati shout. My yells have awoken him, it seems, despite my efforts. He shot out of bed and kneeled at my side. But much like I, he didn't know what to do either.

"What can I do?" he asks in desperation. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding until now when the pain stops, but only for a moment, and tears of pain roll down my face. I do my best to shake my head, a sign that I too did not know what to do. All that I knew right now is that I wanted him to stay at my side as I suffered, finding comfort in his presence. Similar to what I do every night to him, he strokes my hair, trying his best to comfort me when he doesn't know what else to do. Honestly, it is soothing, but it does nothing to alleviate the intense pain I feel. More groans and shouts of pain pass my lips as the pain goes on, and I begin to question if this is it for me. A foolish thought now, but I had no idea what I was feeling. Was it some kind of curse from Hylia she didn't tell me about? Did perhaps Zelda do this? I didn't have a clue.

What I thought was hours was only a few minutes when my suffering started going down. While it still was there, this was something that I could deal with. I lay there, panting while my eyes remained closed. My hands remain where they are, and I feel Vaati place his own over mine. Really a simple gesture, but it was enough to make my heart flutter for a moment. Ever so slowly, the pain lessened, but I didn't move. I was in shock from such a sudden attack, and I was still registering that the pain was gone. When it dawned on me, I opened my eyes slightly, finding that my vision was slightly blurry. I let it adjust fully so I could see clearly before I tried to sit up. I stumbled, but Vaati was there to catch me. He held me up, which was a huge relief on my now weak form.

"Ghirahim, are you alright now?" Vaati asks gently. I unconsciously lean into him, closing my eyes again as a sudden wave of fatigue passes over me. I try to speak, but my voice is hoarse. What was supposed to be an 'I don't know' turned out to be just a meek, dry sound. Instead, I shook my head no lightly, hoping he would get the message.

"You don't know?" he asks, confirming my hopes. I nod my head yes to answer. Vaati helps me up to stand, and he guides me to his bed. Normally I would have not allowed this, but I was too tired and weary to care right now. When I was laid down, Vaati pulled his blankets over my form. I was comforted by the warmth as well as Vaati's scent filling my nose. He pulled a chair up from the small desk he kept in there but never used, and sat down at the bedside. He resumed with stroking my hair, trying his best to do anything to help or comfort me. I closed my eyes, both in tiredness as well as content.

"Take a rest, Ghirahim. Go to sleep, regain your energy. Whatever that was that just happened really took a hit on you," Vaati says quietly, but loud enough that I was able to clearly hear him. I closed my eyes, deciding that his advice should be followed up on. In just a few seconds, I found my vision completely black, and I had fallen asleep.

.

.

.

When I feel a warm light shine on me, I open my eyes, immediately squinting them when the harsh brightness appears. I allow myself a moment to adjust, and I realize I am laying on the ground. I sit up, surprised to find that I feel like nothing has happened. I look ahead, and I recognize where I am. Hylia has called upon me again. Unlike last time though, I don't feel immediate hatred pass over me. I didn't realize this feeling, though, at least not right away. I took the familiar path once again to the temple where Hylia resides, pushing open the heavy doors. An identical scene to the last time I was here, Hylia was upon her throne at the top of the grand staircase. For a moment, I stood in awe at the sight of her.

I am not sure if I am just noticing it now, or there was a change in her, but she seems to radiate utter brilliance, and it took me a minute to gather myself. When I started to approach her, I saw a smile on her face. She must have seen me falter there. I wasn't angry about it though, as I thought I would be. It was the feeling I certainly would feel if that happened last time. I climbed the staircase, and I stood in front of the goddess I used to serve. She smiled at me when I gazed upon her.

"I sense a change in you, my son. You are not like the person you were when you last stepped into these halls whilst you dreamt," she says. I choose to ignore her remark, finding myself befuddled at my sudden change of heart towards her.

"Why have you called me here?" I ask. I didn't demand it like I would have last time, and that seemed to surprise her for a moment before she replies, "I didn't call you here, my beloved child. You came to me." It was my turn to look at her in confusion.

"Why would I come to you? I don't even know how I got here," I respond. She giggles lightly at my confusement. While I feel a small flame of annoyance flicker inside of me, it does not remain.

"I am unsure myself, only you can tell. Perhaps you have had a change of faith, but I suspect it is not quite so. Perhaps you finally realized what my words to you meant," she said, her tone even still holding that regalness despite the casual tone. She stood up from her throne, and stood in front of me. She matched my height, so it was easy to look into her eyes, which held a knowing look.

"You mean when you said you wanted to see if I could still feel. You were referring to love, weren't you,"I say in a softness that surprised the both of us. I don't show it though, I didn't want to give her any satisfaction in seeing it. While it seems I hate her less, and dare I say it, respect her a little now, I still do not fully like her.

"Yes, that is exactly what I meant," she responds, and puts a hand on my cheek.

"What exactly did you see?" I ask, and she knows that I am talking about the vision that prompted her to take the actions that she did.

"That is for you to find out, my dear Ghirahim," she says, and she glances away.

"I suspected as much,"I respond. She looks at me again, surprise once again showing on her when I don't try to fight her on it.

"I have a question for you, though," I say.

"What is it?" she responds.

"I don't suppose you have anything to with the pain I felt prior to this dream, did you?" I ask. She looks at me in shock, and then it turns to confusion, which then turns to worry.

"Pain? What pain? Ghirahim, what happened," she asks, concern filling her voice.

"Ah, so you didn't have anything to do with it," I say, not answering her question.

"Ghirahim, answer me. What pain did you feel?" she urges me.

"It was before I came here. I...admitted my feelings to myself, and in the next second, I felt a crippling pain that shot through me. I was hoping that you would know what that was, but I guess that you don't," I respond. She puts her hands on my shoulders, and my eyes widen in brief surprise.

"Ghirahim, why didn't you say anything!" Hylia exclaims.

"I just did! Why are you getting so worked up?" I ask, and remove her hands, finding them slightly uncomfortable from the harsh grip.

"Ghirahim, it's your fellow kin, I sense. They must have figured out that you are reverting back! They have come for you! What you felt must have been a portal opening! You have to go back!" she says, and I gasp slightly in surprise. Of course! How could I have not realized that! But how did they figure out, and so quickly!? It was then that it dawned upon me.

"Vaati," I say to myself. Vaati was on his own right now, what with me practically unconscious! There was no way he could fight beings as powerful as my fellow kin in the state he is in! Without saying anything, I feel Hylia sending me back, and I would have been grateful had the worry for Vaati's safety hadn't been a more pressing matter in my eyes.

.

.

.

When my eyes opened again, I saw that I was back in Vaati's room. I shot up, startling Vaati.

"Ghirahim, what is it?" he asks, sensing my distress.

"That pain I felt, it was the demons, Vaati, they have come to Hyrule," I say urgently.

"Wait, what for? What reason do they have for suddenly showing up like this?" Vaati asks.

"Because...because they have figured out what is happening to me. But that is not what we must focus on, Vaati. They have come to find me, and to finish me off. Most likely you too." I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, and throw the blankets off of me, finding that I felt perfectly fine, to my surprise as well as Vaati's.

"Ghirahim what are you saying?" Vaati asks. It could have just been me, but I thought I heard a tinge of fright in his voice. Just that little bit fueled my need to protect him, as I knew that they would end up going for him, them knowing that he was my weakness. How they knew though I still question.

"It means we are going to battle, Vaati. Those sword lessons you have mastered so perfectly are finally going to be put to real use. Because they are here to wreck havoc, and will stop at nothing until they reach their goal, I would know." I snapped my fingers, summoning both swords into my hands, allowing me to duel wield, as I sense that it would be a small benefit. Although Vaati as still a little lost, he didn't question it when I said that we would have to battle. He drew my sword vessel, and followed me as I stepped onto the balcony. What I saw, even though I would never show it nor admit it, terrified me.

Out in the distance, I could see legions of demons making their way over here, and at a quick pace. I already knew that fighting them would be a huge difference than fighting any monster. Demons, unlike monsters, had skill, and planning. They were truly a force to be reckoned with. I heard Vaati's breath hitch beside me, and I drew him to my side.

"While I have complete faith in your skills, Vaati, I want you to stick to me. What you will be fighting is unlike what you have ever battled against. I had no intentions of hurting you when we battled full out, but they have every intention of harm and murder. And believe me when I say that you will be the focus of their attacks. And while it is my fault, there is no time for apologies now," I explain, a fierceness in my voice as Vaati listened intently. He nodded his head as a sign that he heard, and my grip on him tightened. There was no way I was letting them get to my precious Vaati. Even if it means my death, I have to protect him.

When I looked down at castle town, I saw the citizens in a panic as the guards of the Hylian Castle ushered them to what they thought would be safety, but I knew better. The lesions grew closer and closer, and when they finally arrived, they broke with ease. Both Vaati and I witnessed them slaughter any person who came in their path, and it was evident that they were making their way over here. I held my sword at the ready, and I felt Vaati do the same.

"Remember, Vaati, this is a matter of life or death. Do not get careless or cocky. Strategize, and remember, I will be at your side. Should you need me in the vessel, you just need to call my name," I reminded him.

"I understand. And Ghirahim?" Vaati says, and I look over to him, prompting him to continue.

"Do stay true to your word, will you? I would hate to die without even gaining any of my magic," he says, and I recognize the slight jest underneath. I smile to myself, glad that he was able to keep his spirit and what a situation that could very well end up in death. We say nothing else, and when they finally approach the both of us jump over the ledge, and into the center of the fight.


	14. Chapter 14

And here we are, the end to the story. I appreciate you sticking around, to be honest, and for listening as well. But alas, all stories have to end at some point. Mine unfortunately ends here. It was in these last moments that I realized what my life was, just a lament of the damned. Yes, it was in my last moments that I realized that I was damned from the beginning. Damned to fail, damned to never achieve my ultimate goal that I never even realized until the end. Please, won't you hear me out one last time? Won't you listen to the end of my lament?

* * *

Everything happened so fast, that I could barely even register it. Before my very eyes, I saw people getting murdered, wounded, and just a few barely making it out alive. While the majority of the citizens are in the safety of the castle, or at least near it, there remained an unfortunate few. I could only spare them a quick glance before I had to return to battle, and put my complete focus on making sure that Vaati remained safe. While I was confident that Vaati would be able to protect himself if this were just a hoard of monsters, a whole legion of demons was vastly different. Especially if they are all attacking you simultaneously.

I cut through them, though the more I sliced through, it seemed like more was appearing. It seemed like there was no end to them. Eventually, I saw the princess as well as Link on their way, and I can say truthfully that this was the only time I was happy to see them. We could use any help we could get, and while our goals were different, we could all agree that the main priority at the moment was to rid of these demons. When they arrived, Vaati and I joined up with them, forming a team of four. This was something never seen before, dark teaming up with light. Honestly it would have been funny at any other moment.

With the four of us teamed up, slicing down the demons went by quicker and easier, but still, with each and every death, more appeared. I didn't even know that there were this much demons, to be honest. It surprised me to see so many in one area, but that was the least of my worries.

"You two! What the hell is going on here! Why are these things attacking!" Zelda calls out in the midst of her attack.

"They have come here to finish me off," I call back to her, and continue, "but don't think they won't try to destroy you as well! Being one of them myself, I can say that they _will_ try to take out you and Link as well!" I turn my attention to Vaati, to see how he is fairing, and I kill a demon that was trying to sneak up on Vaati. But while my attention was on that, I didn't notice another appearing behind me. To my surprise, I felt a blade slash through my arm, creating a nasty and painful gash, hindering me from using that arm to attack as well. I summoned the sword away, and continued attacking using my right hand. Whenever a demon would get too close to Vaati without him realizing, I would attack them for him, but this wasn't exactly the best of strategies.

More than once a demon was able to land a hit on me, and while their numbers were reducing at a slow rate, it was beginning to take its toll on me. The others were starting to get weary too, I could see, but none of them were as wounded as I was. But I cared not for my own sake, just as long as Vaati was okay. He gave me a quick glance, noticing how weary I was becoming.

"Ghirahim, I need you in your vessel," he calls out to me. I nod, and transfer myself inside my blade, much to Link's and Zelda's momentary surprise. While I was a little grateful I would be able to rest up a little and heal, I was more worried for Vaati's sake. Although Link and Zelda were there fighting as well, I myself couldn't protect Vaati from the outside, only being able to assist him through my vessel. I, however, was able to see all around him, and I called out to him whenever there was an attack coming from one of his blind spots.

While I was in the vessel, my wounds healed a little faster than when I was out of it, to which I was grateful. In no time, most of my wounds were closed up, all but the gash on my arm, which still rendered me unable to attack with it. No matter, though, I still had my right sword as well as my magic on my side. When I informed Vaati I was healed and able to battle again, he allowed me out.

"While I appreciate you trying to protect me, Ghirahim, worry about yourself for once! I can't have you getting yourself hurt for my sake," Vaati says to me when I reappear.

"While I am flattered by your concern for me, my dear Vaati" I say and cut through a demon trying to approach Vaati, "I am afraid I will not heed your words. I told you before, they are targeting you more than me currently, and with a good reason, despite that I would rather that didn't," I respond. He sighs in annoyance, and I smile in amusement that he could feel such even in such a dire situation.

"Will you two concentrate! We have hundreds of these guys still trying to kill us!" Link calls out to us. I huff out in amusement, but I still comply, as does Vaati. But while my attention was momentarily drawn away, a demon I hadn't seen coming disarmed me. It immediately jumped for the chance to attack Vaati since I was unable to defend him, or so it thought. I jumped in front of him since he wasn't expecting it, obviously, and was too temporarily shocked to defend. I hardened my arms to act as a shield, them now looking like they do when I am in my true form. The weapon the demon wielded clashed with my arms, and I grabbed it in it's shock at my unexpected defense and killed it.

I tossed the weapon through a small group of demons, and it flew through some of them as I summoned both of my swords, since the gash was gone on my left arm while they were hardened like this. I noticed that a group of demons were closing in on Link and Zelda, so I quickly rid of them for the two. They nodded their thanks, and focused on their own duels, as did I. Within seconds, another group was upon me, and I took a few hits before I wiped them out. I made a quick scan of the area, and I noticed to my great satisfaction and relief that the numbers were down greatly, and we might actually have a chance.

The four of us continued to fight, but it was evident that the other three were close to hitting their limit. I was only just beginning to feel fatigued, since I was able to rest while in my vessel.

"I can't...continue fighting...for much longer," I hear Link say behind me.

"We have to! We have to push...through this!" Zelda replies, though she looks ready to drop right then and there. Vaati doesn't say anything, but I can that he agrees with Link. Once again, I take a quick scan of the environment around us, and I determine my next course of action.

"You three, stand behind me. I shall take care of the rest," I say. Link and Zelda look at me in surprise, while Vaati looks indifferent.

"Are you joking!?" Link shours.

"Have you gone mad!" Zelda exclaims.

"You better, I'm close to my limit," Vaati says. I laugh to myself.

"I have one last trick up my sleeve that should get rid of the last of them. Now if you would, stand behind me," I say again. While Link and Zelda do look concerned about this, they do as they are told, while Vaati was already there. Without saying anything else, I emerge myself in white and black diamonds, and I here the three of them gasp in shock. I shift into my true form, and I see briefly Vaati's look of utter fascination, reminding me that he has never seen me in this state. I smirk at the other two's look of pure befuddlement, and I begin my rampage on the rest of the demons.

I blow through them much more easier, taking advantage of their surprise at my shift. I combine my magic and sword attacks, using various sword techniques and taking advantage of my ability to teleport. Within minutes, I already have wiped out a good half of them. And I haven't even begun to sweat. Really, being in this form is much easier with a horde battle like this. But I wouldn't have been able to handle the beginning of it before, even in this form, which is why I waited. It was a good choice too. Using one last trick up my sleeve, I preform a spell that wipes out the rest of the demons. When the spell runs through the last one, I stand there, giving myself a breather. I transition out of my true form into my normal one.

When I turn around, the three of them are looking at me in awe, but it is only Vaati that I notice. Suddenly, I feel fatigued, and I fall to my knees. Vaati runs over to me, and kneels at my side.

"Are...you alright…?" I ask him, barely getting the words out. I start to fall forward, but Vaati catches me.

"I should be the one asking you that," he replies. I laugh slightly, and say, "Don't worry about me. It has just been a while since I have been in my true form. I'm just a little exhausted, that's all." I lean into him, and try to catch my breath. To my surprise, though, he hugs me.

"Damn it, don't worry me like that again. You don't always need to protect me," he says, and I smile slightly, and weakly hug him back.

"If only you knew...you would understand…" I say quietly. He pulls back, and looks at me in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asks. I smile, and put a hand on his cheek.

"Why I did so, Vaati. Why the demons so suddenly attacked. It wasn't just because they could, Vaati." I explain, but he looks even more confused.

"Why did they then?" Vaati asks.

"Because I…" I start, but stop.

"Ghirahim?"

Because I-" I start, but a sudden beam in my chest stops me as I gasp in pain and cough up blood.

"Ghirahim!" Vaati shouts, and I can faintly hear Zelda and Link gasp in shock.

"How pathetic...I expected much more out of you, Ghirahim," a voice says with coldness. It is a voice that I thought I would never here, and it makes my blood run cold and my heart to stop for a moment. That voice, the one I was so familiar with, a voice to which the owner, I thought up until now, was long dead.

"D-Demise…" I mutter out. Vaati's eyes widen in shock, recognizing just who suddenly appeared. The other two were also shocked, also recognizing who it was.

"But you're supposed to be dead…!" Zelda says, to which Demise laughs.

"Yes, I suppose I was. But thanks to my subjects, I have been revived yet again! I expected them to be lead by you, Ghirahim. Imagine my surprise when I had learned you had turned your back to us," he says. The other three look to me, confused by what he means.

"Which is why you must die!" Demise shouts, and lunges at me. I close my eyes tight, expecting to feel the pain of death, but I instead hear the a distinct sound of magic upon magic. I open my eyes, and immediately a surprising sight is what I am greeted with.

"You'll have to go through me first!" Vaati shouts. To all of our surprise, he deflected Demise with a shield of magic.

"When did...you-" I start, but Vaati interrupts me.

"I felt it when I awoke this morning. I was going to tell you, but the attack interrupted me," he explains and pushes Demise back. Suddenly, my mind goes early that night, when I finally realized what I felt. The seal must have broke then. I thought I would be able to tell, but I guess I was mistaken.

"Rest up, Ghirahim. Now, it is my turn to protect you!" Vaati says, and goes head on head with Demise. At some point, Zelda and Link also joined, but I was too wounded from Demise's earlier strike to join. I held a hand to it and applied pressure, trying to stop the blood flow. I turned my gaze to the three of them, watching as the three of them fought my former master, whom I thought would never return. I began to question myself then. How could I not feel his return? How was I not able to see that the other demons were preparing his return?

I pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind when I realized I should be thinking of that later, and trying to find a way to seal Demise again. Various ideas ran through my head as I watched Vaati, Link, and Zelda fight against Demise. Worry arose in me whenever he seemed to gain the upper hand, but dispersed when the three of them regained it. It truly was a sight to see the three of them battle together.

At some point, I am not sure when, Vaati drew my sword vessel, and Demise produced a sword of his own.

So, he has sworn loyalty over to you, it seems," Demise says, but no one responded. Suddenly, Vaati calls to me, and tells me to enter the sword vessel. I comply, and with what remaining strength I have, I transfer myself over. Here, as I have said before, I am able to heal much faster than outside of it, but I already know that it will take a long while for this wound to heal. Various times I told Vaati what to do, and he did as I said. From inside of the vessel, I watched the battle take place, wishing that I could somehow help Vaati.

"While I do appreciate the good fight, I am going to have to end this," Demise says suddenly, and with a powerful gust of magic, Vaati, Link, and Zelda are blown off their feet, and lay on the ground, stunned by the sudden and unexpected attack. My sword vessel lay a little ways away from Vaati's form. But I am still able to see what is going on.

"And I think I will start with this brat that my once loyal servant calls a master!" he shouts, and with astonishing speed, goes to attack Vaati. My eyes widen, and without a second thought, I exit my vessel, and through myself in front of Vaati. I gasp in pain as Demise's sword plunges through me, and I cough up blood.

"Ghirahim!" Vaati calls from behind me.

"Humph. Figure you would sacrifice yourself, Ghirahim," Demise says in disgust, and he lifts his large sword up with me still on the end of it. I cry out in pain, and he swings his sword, throwing me off of it. I land on the ground harshly, and I lay still, not having the strength anymore to move.

"Ghirahim!" Vaati cries, and rushes to my side. He rolls me over so I lie on my back instead of my side, and rests my upper body on his lap.

"Ghirahim, why did you do that! You idiot, you didn't have to do that!" he shouts, but his words are half-hearted. Blood spills out of the corner of my mouth, and my vision begins to darken. I can feel death's embrace, but I resist against it the best I can.

"Because, Vaati. Do you...not realize how much….you mean to me?" I say weakly, barely able to even get the words out at this point. I groan out in pain, and smile at him.

"What are you talking about, Ghirahim? What are you trying to say?' Vaati asks. I cough out more blood, and wipe my mouth of the blood left.

"Vaati…"I say, and take deep breaths.

"I have realized that I...would do anything for you, Vaati. If I should have to throw my life away...then so be it. If it is to protect you...I would do anything," I say, taking a breath here and there. I suddenly feel a wetness on my face, and I look up to see Vaati crying. I lift my arm up weakly, and wipe his tears away. He leans into my touch, and I smile up at him.

"No...Ghirahim...You can't...leave me…" Vaati whispers, and holds me closer to him. My vision begins to blacken again, but I fight it once again. I am determined to spend every last second I have left with him, and I won't let even death take it away from me.

"Pity not my destiny, my dear Vaati. At least...this way...you don't have to spend eternity with me...as a foul creature such as a demon."

"I don't care if I become a demon or not! Can't you see that I _want_ to spend eternity with you!? Yet...here you are, leaving me all alone…" He says, and his voice begins to soften at the end.

"Vaati," I call out to him, and he turns his attention to me.

"Vaati, do me...one last favor?" I ask.

"What is it?" he replies. I smile, and close my eyes, not having much more strength left in my body.

"Just...keep me in your thoughts, will you? Remember me, and you will never be alone...will you do this last thing for me?" I ask, and I open my eyes one last time to see Vaati, to examine his beautiful self for a final time.

"Yes, of course I will," he replies, and I smile widely at him.

"Thank you, Vaati…" I say, and I begin to fall into death's embrace. Images of our time together flash through my vision. Every good and bad time, every night and every morning, they all speed through my mind, and for once, I feel totally and completely at peace. I was able to die happily, a total turn from how I thought I would leave this world. My breathing shallows, and I barely hear Vaati call my name. I exhale my last breath, with Vaati on my mind, and I exist no more.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for sticking around 'til the end! Your views are quite appreciated!**

 **Do not worry, for this is not the end! Well, it is for this story, but a sequel awaits! Until next time, my lovely readers!**

 **Update! Find the sequel on my page called Fire for Your Desire!**


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